The Journey to Hibernia by Cheeya
Disclaimer : The characters of Xena and Gabrielle belong to Rob Tapert and co, not me. This story contains scenes of a sexual nature between two loving women. If this offends you, is illegal in your country or state, or if you're too young to read it, please don't go any further.
Dedication : For Dec… my gorgeous boyfriend. For Sham, as always. I owe her big time! For my family who are really supportive of me in everything I do.
Feedback/Constructive criticism to cheeya@xenafan.com
Bard's Note : This is part 3 of the "A Life Worth Living" series. Part 1 is called "Gabrielle's Fate" and part 2 is called "Fighting the Darkness". You don't have to have read the other two parts to enjoy this so enjoy!
"Gabrielle! Catch!"
The bard dove forward and caught the fish before it hit the dirt at her feet.
"You know, Xena, I don't appreciate having to stand here and get clobbered with slimy fish."
Xena walked slowly to her soulmate, letting down her long, raven-black hair from its tidy knot.
"You said you wanted salmon. You got salmon," she pointed out.
Gabrielle smiled.
"I know. Thank you."
The warrior ruffled her short blonde hair and went to start a fire in the clearing they were using for camp.
"Xena, what happened in Athens?"
Xena glanced up from her task and grinned.
"Nothing much. I was in and out in an hour. It was the quickest trip to Athens I've ever taken."
"But why did you go?" asked the bard.
"Oh, if I told you that, Gabrielle, I'd have to kill you," Xena growled and then ducked a flying fish head. "Temper, temper," she teased.
Xena, come on, I tell you everything!"
"Oh no you don't," Xena replied.
"Oh yes I do," Gabrielle said in an annoyed tone.
"Don't!"
"Do!"
"Don't!"
"Oh stop it!"
The warrior smirked, knowing she had won that argument.
"What if I were to force it out of you?" Gabrielle asked mischievously after a long silence. Xena raised an eyebrow at her and rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah, that's really going to happen, Gabrielle," she said sarcastically but she suddenly found herself flat on her back, covered by soft, warm bard.
"I never said I was going to use violence," Gabrielle purred, dropping kisses on her soulmate's face and neck.
"This isn't fair, you know," Xena replied breathlessly.
"Life isn't worth living if it doesn't throw some challenges at you," the bard replied, nibbling on a convenient earlobe.
"Life wouldn't be worth living if you weren't living it with me," Xena whispered and she smiled as the bard paused in her exploration and sighed.
"You're getting good at that," she stated.
"Good at what?"
"Distracting me from my original question and making me melt into a puddle. Xena, why did you go to Athens?"
"Alright, Gabrielle," the warrior drawled. "I went to see a man about a horse."
"That's not going to cut it, Warrior Princess."
"No, I mean it. I went to see an old friend about looking after Argo for me for a while."
Gabrielle's forehead furrowed in confusion.
"I don't understand. Why would you want to leave Argo in Athens?"
Xena grinned and ran her fingertips lightly across her partner's stomach, feeling her shiver slightly.
"Because, you and I are going on a little trip, Gabrielle."
"I have the feeling that I'm going to have to drag this out of you."
"Not at all. I thought we could go somewhere different for a few months. Gabrielle, how would you feel about going to Hibernia?"
"Hibernia?" Gabrielle trawled through her considerable knowledge of place names but she drew a blank. "I don't know it. Where is it, Xena?"
The warrior sat up, picked up a stick and drew a map in the soft earth beside her.
"Ok, this is Britannia and this small land here to the left is Hibernia. It's a Celtic land, called Eire by its people. The warriors are known for their ferocity in battle but they're also known to be an honourable race."
"Sounds good. How long will it take us to get there?"
Xena made the necessary calculations in her mind.
"About three weeks, Gabrielle, only there's one small problem."
The bard sighed and shook her head.
"There's a ship involved, isn't there," she said flatly.
"I'm afraid so, but it would take us months to travel over land and we'd have to get a ship anyway from Gaul." She saw the bard's uncertain look and smiled "You'll be fine. Just remember that pressure point I showed you on your wrist."
"Ok, Xena. Hibernia it is."
"Good," the warrior replied. "Now, let's get this fish cooked before my stomach starts yelling at me."
"I almost forgot, Xena. I picked up some wine on the way here. It'll go nicely with the fish."
The warrior raised a perfect, dark eyebrow and smiled.
"Sounds great, thanks."
Gabrielle sprinkled a herb mixture over the fish and wrapped it in some leaves, setting it carefully at the edge of the fire. Soon, the smell was causing both their stomachs to growl. Xena pulled two wooden cups out of her saddlebag and filled them with wine from the skin while Gabrielle portioned the fish and flipped it skilfully onto two plates.
"Here you go," she said softly as she handed the warrior her plate.
"Thanks. When will we head for Hibernia?"
"Well, the sooner the better I guess," the bard replied. "How about tomorrow?"
Xena grinned and then kissed her softly on the lips.
"Good suggestion."
Next morning, warrior and bard travelled to Athens and left Argo with Xena's friend. Then they went to the coast to catch a ship to Hibernia. Gabrielle stood on the dock for a few minutes, resigning herself to three weeks of nausea with a long sigh. She smiled as Xena waved at her from atop the mast of the ship.
"Come on board! We're going to be setting sail soon!"
Gabrielle shook her head.
"Three damn minutes on a ship and she's already talking like a sailor," she muttered as she climbed the gangplank. A rugged, unshaven man was gazing up at the Warrior Princess, shielding his eyes from the bright sun.
"Hey!" he yelled. "Get the hell down from there woman! You want to get yourself killed?"
"Uh oh," Gabrielle whispered as Xena swung out on a rope and slid toward the deck. She let go suddenly and flipped in mid air, landing in front of the man with a soft thud.
"I can help," Xena said with a grin. "I have experience."
Gabrielle smiled at the warrior's enthusiasm. Sometimes, when she was like this, she looked much younger than her thirty-three years.
"What kind of experience?" the sailor asked warily.
Xena flicked her hair out of her eyes and shrugged.
"Had my own fleet," she stated modestly.
"You? Your own fleet?" he said incredulously. "That's funny!"
He threw back his head and laughed heartily. Xena chuckled and glanced at Gabrielle, winking a blue eye.
"Oh well, if you don't want my help," she said.
"Who are you, Woman?" he asked as he tried to compose himself.
"The name's Xena," she replied.
His smile slipped away quickly and he blinked a couple of times.
"Xena? The Warrior Princess?"
"Yep," she confirmed, slowly nodding her head.
He took a step back and nodded.
"We'd be pleased to have your help, Ma'am," he said respectfully.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Ramon, Ma'am," he said, tipping his cap.
"Drop the Ma'am," the warrior replied. "Xena will do fine. Now let's get this ship under way. Where's the Captain?"
"He's down below. He'll be here shortly to give orders."
"Thanks. I'll get settled and come back up to help with the sails."
Xena took Gabrielle's hand and led her toward the door to the cabins below deck.
"Nice guy," the bard stated.
"Yeah, I like sailors. They're mostly honest, hardworking men but, Gabrielle, watch your back, ok? I don't want to be cleaning up bloody noses."
"Don't worry about my nose. I can take care of it just fine," the bard replied.
Xena grinned.
"It wasn't your nose I was talking about."
"Oh."
Gabrielle chuckled and followed her soulmate to the cabin they were sharing.
The three weeks of the voyage passed uneventfully and Xena really enjoyed being back on a ship. It was one of the few things she missed from her time as the Destroyer of Nations. Gabrielle weathered the voyage fairly well, but had a constant bruise on her wrist from hitting the anti-sickness pressure point. She let Xena choose her food for her because of the unexpected side effect of the point and actually enjoyed the trip to a certain degree. She was pleased though when she finally stepped onto dry land.
"Well, we're here," said Xena as she stroked the soft skin of her soulmate's back.
"Yeah, gods, Xena. This is great," the bard replied.
She watched the people of the village bustle around and smiled when she saw the market nearby.
"Xena, can we…?"
"Oh no, my bard, not yet. Let me get my bearings here first and then we can think about shopping."
"Sure. We need to get some local money. Dinars won't do us much good here."
"True. I'll try to trade and see what happens I guess."
Gabrielle nodded and watched as her partner moved off into the bustling crowd. She sat down on the dock and adjusted her sais more comfortably. The weather was cool and as the bard sat, light drizzle began to fall. Gabrielle ran a hand through her short, blonde hair and tilted her face towards the sky, letting the moisture refresh her.
"Rains almost all the time in this damn country," said a voice from behind her and she looked around sharply.
"Uh, yeah, it's very different to Greece."
Ramon sat down beside her and pulled out some dried meat from his shirt pocket. He offered her some and then began to chew slowly, gazing out over the green sea.
"I take it you've been here before," said Gabrielle, glancing at him and noting the lines on his weather-beaten face.
"Yes, Ma'am, I have… many times. It's a beautiful country full of green forests and lush countryside. Woods are always full of game and fish are plentiful but the bad thing about this place is the rain."
"Do you know where Xena and I can find a place to sleep?" asked the bard after a few moments of silence. Ramon jerked his head and indicated a large building behind them.
"That place is good. It's about the cleanest place you'll get around here. Food's not bad either. Maybe I'll see you and Xena there tonight?"
Gabrielle smiled and nodded amiably.
"Maybe you will, although you won't get any stories out of me here. The people wouldn't understand them."
"True," Ramon agreed, "but I know my men would appreciate it if you could give us a private performance."
"Give her a break, Ramon. She'll lose her voice if she tells anymore stories to your men."
Gabrielle smiled as her soulmate placed a strong, sword-callused hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find a large grin on the warrior's face.
"You look like a cat who's found the cream. Spill it."
"Managed to get us some local coinage, a room for a few nights and a hot bath."
The bard sighed and wiped the rain off her face.
"A hot bath is just what I need right now. I was getting really tired of dunking myself in the sea," she said.
"So was I," Xena admitted and then held out her hand to help her partner up. Gabrielle took the proffered hand and allowed herself to be hauled to her feet.
"See you later, Ramon."
"Goodbye, Ma'am, Xena."
He tipped his cap at them and watched as warrior and bard wove their way through the crowd to get to the inn. Once their gear was stored away in their small room, Gabrielle lay on the bed and laced her fingers behind her head. She watched appreciatively as her lover began to strip out of her leathers. Xena caught the appraising look and raised an eyebrow at the bard.
"What?" she asked.
"Have I ever told you how great you look naked?" Gabrielle enquired with a smile.
"Many times, Gabrielle," Xena replied. "But that doesn't mean you can't tell me now."
The bard laughed.
"Well, why don't you come over here and I'll show you just how great I think you look."
Xena padded over to the bed and hopped over the bard to lie on her side with her back against the wall.
"You're still worried about falling out of the bed again?" Gabrielle asked.
Xena nodded sheepishly and pulled her lover into her favourite spot.
"That bed was about the same size as this one. Gabrielle, I really don't want to aggravate that injury again by thumping my back off the floor."
"No, that was nasty," the bard replied, wincing in sympathy. "I thought I'd never get all those knots loosened along your spine."
"Back injuries are the worst, Gabrielle. It could seriously put me out of action. The last thing I need is to be bedridden for our entire stay here."
"Alright," the bard conceded. "I always get too warm on the inside anyway."
Xena nuzzled her hair and breathed in its sweet, clean smell. Gabrielle began to slowly stroke the warrior's bare stomach and soon, Xena felt herself drift off.
Hours later, Xena woke up to find it was almost dark and she cursed herself for falling asleep, but when she heard a small sigh and felt a muscular arm tighten around her ribcage, she found she didn't really care. In fact, she knew that both herself and her soulmate needed some downtime after what had happened over the previous few months. Losing Gabrielle had taken its toll on her heart and she found that she was so happy to have her partner back that she really couldn't have given a damn if the King of Thrace had been waiting outside in the rain for her. Anger rose in her as she thought about what Ares had done to them… again… and she was seriously debating with herself about how to get rid of him once and for all.
"Hey, whatcha thinking about?" asked Gabrielle sleepily as she saw the thunderous look on her lover's face.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it," the warrior replied. "I'm starving. Let's have that bath and go downstairs for some dinner."
"Sounds like a plan," Gabrielle replied and rolled off her partner.
They bathed and dressed and then went downstairs to get something to eat. Gabrielle smiled at the buxom serving-woman that approached their table. She spoke to Xena in a strange, guttural tongue and Xena nodded. She replied haltingly to the woman and then pointed at the plate of stew she was holding. The warrior looked at Gabrielle and then held up two fingers. The woman nodded and headed back toward the kitchen.
"What did she say?" asked Gabrielle, following the woman with her eyes.
"Not sure exactly but it was something about only having meat… I think. Either that or I just agreed to sell you for two copper pieces."
Gabrielle laughed and elbowed her soulmate gently in the ribs.
"I'm worth much more than two copper pieces… three at least."
Xena smiled tenderly.
"No, you're priceless… to me," she said softly.
Gabrielle melted into that aforementioned puddle and shook her head.
"Wow, you're getting really good at that," she said huskily.
Xena was about to lean over to kiss her, when the door of the tavern burst open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Four very drunk and loudly arguing men staggered into the tavern. They were heavily armed and Xena narrowed her eyes as she took in every detail about them, from their scrappy armour, to their dirty boots. She sighed and shook her head. She was always meticulous about caring for her armour, leathers, boots and weapons and seeing the poorly kept equipment really irked her.
"Huh," she grunted and looked back at her partner to see her wrinkle her nose in disdain.
"Yeah," the bard replied and then frowned as she saw one of the men stop the serving woman as she passed by. He grabbed her around the waist and tried to kiss her and she struggled to get away. Xena was on her feet in an instant but Gabrielle caught her arm.
"Let me," she said and strode towards the raucously laughing men. She tapped Mauler on the shoulder and he turned to face her, his eyes fixing themselves firmly on her cleavage.
"Excuse me," she said in a hard tone. "I don't think this woman appreciates being mauled like that. I'll give you until the count of three to let her go."
The man laughed, obviously not understanding a word she was saying and she let a smile rise to her face… a smile that didn't even come near to reaching her emerald green eyes. He reached out two grubby paws, intent on having her next but Gabrielle brought her fists down on his forearms as hard as she could. He howled in pain and tried to grab her again but this time, she punched him squarely in the nose. He staggered back a few steps and snarled at her.
"Well I did warn you," she stated and then pulled her sais out of her boots. She spun them skilfully in her hands and waited for them to attack her but they all back away from her and retreated into the darkness outside. "Hmmm, that was too easy," she muttered and then replaced her weapons with a sigh of relief. The woman come up to her and held her hands, speaking rapidly in her native tongue. Gabrielle shook her head and smiled apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I can't understand you," she said.
"She's thanking you, Gabrielle," said her soulmate, right into her ear, making her jump a little.
"Oh, ok. You're welcome," the bard said to the woman, squeezing her shoulder gently. The woman nodded and then walked toward their table with the two plates she has managed to hold on to.
"What did I tell you about bloody noses? Anyway, looks like dinner's ready," said Xena dryly and returned to her seat. Gabrielle followed and soon they were attacking their meal with enthusiasm.
"You were standing behind me, weren't you?" asked Gabrielle between chews.
"Pardon me?"
"The reason those guys left like that. You came up behind me and they got scared and left, right?"
"Wrong," Xena replied. "I didn't come near you until that woman started speaking to you. I thought I could help."
Gabrielle mulled this over as she finished chewing.
"So they left because they didn't want to face me?" she asked.
"Yep." Xena shook her head at the bard's puzzled look. "Gabrielle, you were pretty scary yourself, you know. I wouldn't even want to face you. You're very good with those." Xena pointed at the bard's sais and then took another forkful of stew. She flicked her raven-black hair away from her eyes and grinned. "You're a formidable opponent."
"Well… thanks… but…"
"No buts, Gabrielle. You're a damn good warrior."
Xena saw her soulmate's eyes cloud over and the bard stared at her plate for a long minute.
"Ares taught me well, huh?" she said in a small voice.
Xena hooked a finger under her chin and raised her face to capture her eyes.
"Gabrielle, don't think of it like that. You have damn impressive skills and you worked hard to develop them. Believe me, I feel better going into a fight when you're watching my back."
"I still can't believe I did it," the bard replied softly. "I just gave in to him. I gave him everything he wanted… everything."
"Hey," Xena said gently, wiping a tear from her partner's face. "You were hurt and confused, Gabrielle. Ares laid the same trick on you that he did on me and I fell for it just as quickly, only I couldn't back off the way you did. He owned me for ten years and believe me, I gave him everything too."
"I'm scared, Xena," Gabrielle whispered. "I'm scared that someday he'll come back and I won't be able to stop myself from going back to him."
Gods, what can I say to that?
"Remember back when we met Callisto for the first time?" said Xena, slowly.
"Yes, I remember."
"You told me that the only way to stop the circle of violence and hate was through love. I didn't understand that at first but now I do with all my heart. Gabrielle, our love is strong enough to withstand hell. I don't think any puny God of War is going to change that."
The younger woman smiled and twined her fingers with the warrior's.
"Thanks," she said.
"It's true, Gabrielle and I'll never doubt it."
"I love you, Xena," the bard replied.
Early next morning, Xena slid out from under her partner and dressed quickly. There was something she had to do and she wanted to bring back breakfast to Gabrielle before she woke up. She strode out into the village and found what she was looking for after a few minutes search. Then she returned to the inn, stopping briefly at the kitchen to pick up a breakfast tray from the woman Gabrielle had helped the night before.
"Hey Sleepy," she said softly as she kissed the bard into wakefulness.
"Mmmm," Gabrielle purred. "What a great way to be woken up."
"I have something for you," said Xena with a grin and held up her acquisition.
"Nutbread? You went out and got me nutbread?" Gabrielle said, her eyes wide with pleasure.
"You still like it, right?" Xena asked unsurely.
"Like it? Xena, I love it! Where did you get nutbread?"
"I have many skills," the warrior replied with an enigmatic smile.
"Yeah, you're right," the bard replied. "Thank you, Xena."
"You're welcome."
"Hey, Gabrielle! Come on in here! It's great!"
The bard looked up from her scroll and chuckled as she watched her soulmate somersault off a high rock and dive cleanly into a deep, clear pool.
"I'll be there in a minute!" she called back.
"Don't be too long now or I'll have to come get ya!"
"I won't!"
Gabrielle finished her entry in her diary and then stood to remove her clothes. She ran to the edge of the pool and flipped into the air, hitting the water with her arms wrapped around her knees. She surfaced quickly and laughed as she saw Xena, pushing back wet hair out of her eyes.
"Nice splash," Xena teased and shook her head, spraying her partner with water.
"Brrr, it's cold," the bard replied.
"It's refreshing. This is a really cool country," said Xena.
"Cool?"
"Yeah, you know, chilly. Not like Greece at all."
"No," Gabrielle agreed, "but it's beautiful. I'm glad we left the village. I wanted to spend some time alone with you. I was getting sick of only having those soldiers to talk to. They kept trying to look down my top."
Xena laughed and swam on her back for a bit.
"They thought you were cute and I agree totally!"
"Hmph," Gabrielle replied. "Great, now I'm cute."
Xena grinned and swam back to her love,
"No, you were always cute. Now, you're beautiful. I remember the first time I saw you. I thought you were gorgeous."
"I thought the exact same thing," the bard replied. "Gods, Xena. Why did it take us so long to figure it out?"
"Maybe we both knew that we had to get to know each other first," the warrior replied thoughtfully. "I cherish our friendship just as much as I cherish our love."
"Me too and I think…"
Gabrielle trailed off as she heard a shout coming from nearby.
"Come on," Xena said and swam back to the edge of the pool. She hauled herself out and pulled on her clothes and armour before picking up her sword and chakram and heading for the distress call. Gabrielle was right behind her, her weapons clamped securely in her hands. They burst into a clearing to find the men from the tavern, a few days previously, taunting some children. Xena growled low in her throat and strode up behind them, her sword raised.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" she snarled but the men stared blankly at her. "Oh, forget it," she muttered and kicked the nearest thug in the groin. He let out a strangled squeak and dropped to his knees, holding his injured manhood. Xena clocked him soundly on the top of the head with the hilt of her sword and he slumped forward, totally unconscious. Gabrielle was holding off two of the others easily and she finished them both with a scissors kick, dropping them like bags of flour. She turned and grinned as Xena flipped over the last man's head, planting a leather boot in his face as she sailed by. He too became acquainted with darkness.
"That was…" Xena began but then she froze as she heard a slight sound. She knew Gabrielle had heard it too and they both dropped to one knee, simultaneously catching a crossbow bolt each.
"Son of a Bacchae!" the warrior cursed and ran off into the trees to find their attacker. Gabrielle waited for her to return and smiled as she heard the rustling of a nearby bush.
"Hey, Miss Stealth! Don't scare all the rabbits away. We need something to eat tonight!"
Xena slowly emerged from the thick foliage and Gabrielle spotted the pained look on her face immediately.
"Xena?"
She ran to the Warrior Princess and caught her as she toppled forward. Her stomach clenched with fear as she saw an arrow lodged soundly in her lover's back.
"Oh gods, no!" she cried and cradled the older woman in her arms rocking her gently. "You're going to be ok, Xena."
The warrior's eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly.
"Sorry, Honey. Forgot to duck," she joked and then passed out.
Two hours later, Gabrielle had extracted the arrow and bandaged Xena up as best she could. The warrior regained consciousness a few minutes after that and she sucked in a pained breath as she tried to move.
"No, lie still Xe," Gabrielle ordered. "I don't want you tearing those stitches."
"Yes, Healer," Xena replied and squirmed a little to get comfortable.
"What happened?" the bard asked.
"He caught me on my blind side. Shot the damn arrow on an angle. He was an expert marksman, Gabrielle. This wasn't just a random attack. He knew what he was doing."
"Come on, Xena. We're in Hibernia. No one even knows us here." She paused thoughtfully and then captured the warrior's piercing blue eyes. "Do they?"
Xena looked away and shook her head.
"I may have a few… old friends… here, Gabrielle," she replied.
"You've been here before?"
"Years ago. I tried to take this land with my army but they fought us back to the coast and we had to retreat. That's how I ended up in Britannia for a while. I was hurt badly."
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Gabrielle demanded.
"I didn't want you to worry. I wanted to show you this place. I've loved it since the first time I saw it and I thought you would too."
"Of all the stupid, idiotic not to mention uncharacteristic things you've ever done. Xena, I…"
The warrior raised a hand and sucked in a pained breath as a wave of pain thundered through her.
"Gabrielle, yell at me later," she hissed out through gritted teeth.
"No, actually, I'd like to hear a little girl chastising the great Destroyer of Nations," said a deep voice from behind them and Gabrielle was on her feet in an instant, her weapons drawn and her knees slightly bent in a defensive stance. She saw the shocked look on her soulmate's face and looked back at the man.
"Hello Eoghan," Xena said coldly and the man curled a lip in disdain.
"So you do remember me," he growled.
"How could I forget you?" the warrior replied and shot her partner a look that spoke volumes. "I'm sorry, Gabrielle," she finally said and shook her head in defeat.
To be continued in part 4