7
It was a chilly mist covered morning they woke to and they quickly broke camp and set off heading further they went the closer they seemed to be going to the mountains." I thorght we were going south." Gabrielle moaned from behind her back." We are, sort of." Xena said, she didnt like the way they were going and she hadnt wanted to get close to the monster the barman had mentioned but she didnt like being out in the open exposed to whatever may come at them either." The mountains will give us some protection." she added and looked back at Gabrielle, she seemed awfully grumpy and Xena wasnt sure if it was over wakeing early, leaveing her Amazon sisters or if she was still angry with her over Ephiny. Even though they had made up Xena felt they hadnt addressed that issue and it still lay under the surface waiting to come up and get her. Gabrielle was a little thin skinned where emotions were concerned and it wasnt always so easy to read what was on the bard`s mind these days. She could see Gabrielle wasnt ready to talk out what was bugging her yet and Xena knew she would have to wait for the right time to broach that subject. They contiued to follow the line of the mountains gradually getting closer to the jagged peaks and came across a small settlment not long ago distroyed by the scorch marks Xena saw on the wood remains. They didnt stop and went on through.
Gabrielle clung on. Her head was thumping along with the sound of the horse`s hooves. Her nerves were jangling and her body seemed on fire at every touch. It was odd, everything was sensual, felt sensual to her, She could feel Xena`s muscles under her leathers and that put a fire in her belly and Argo's movements were sending spasams through her, she was going mad with the constant motion. Oh this was silly she`d fall off if she didnt concentrate which made the whole thing so annoying. Odd dreams she had woken from in a sweat. Her, Ares and Xena entwined in a jumble of bodies, confuseing and very erotic, strange feelings and a constant itch she couldnt scratch and couldnt get relief from, it was so maddening. What was the matter with her? and all she could think of was that constant need and this ride was a torture to her and seemed endless. Xena didnt care she was just pushing the horse on eventually she let out a cry. " Stop." Xena pulled up and turned round to her as Gabrielle jumped down." i want to walk." she said deliberately not looking at the warrior and walked ahead keeping her head down. Xena watched Gabrielle's walking style was normally an easy loose stride but at the moment it was a tight and short step as if she were suffering some sort of discomfort. Xena jumped down and caught up with her." What's the matter Gabrielle?" Gabrielle kept on looking at the ground at her feet and walked on. " Nothing's the matter I just want to walk." she ground her teeth and Xena grabbed her arm and turned her round Gabrielle pulled away with an agrieved yell more of annoyance than pain." What is it?" Xena demanded and Gabrielle stared back. " What is it what is it?" Gabrielle sneered." Oh it's alright for you if you want to go to the mountains that's fine ok but I." Xena didnt have a clue what she was yelling about and stared at her completely mystified. It was all half said and implied." I told you it's for our protection. So the gods dont see us." she said." Oh right so you say. Riight." Xena thorght she heard her say as Gabrielle marched off. " What's wrong with you?" " Nothing." Gabrielle yelled back walking even faster. Xena wondered how long she would last at that pace in this heat and she followed in silence watching as Gabrielle's movements become more pronounced.
Time wore on and and so did the sun. It didnt stop Gabrielle though she carried on for some while until she came to a stop and flopped down exhausted. Gabrielle lay like a fish out of water gasping for breath and Xena threw her the water bottle, short of throwing the girl across Argo's saddle they wouldnt be going any further for a while and she looked around watching for trouble. The sun was still high in the sky and she was hot thirsty and pretty annoyed herself now. " Right Gabrielle tell me what that was all about?" she said with her hands on her hips. Gabrielle stared up at her, Xena looked beautif Gabrielle groaned with a mixture of sensual delight and utter frustration but she said." I dont know what your talking about I just needed to walk. Anything wrong with that? " Xena shook her head." No but out here we're just easy targets and there's a monster around and I wanted to get us under cover." Gabrielle pursed her lips." A monster?" Xena mounted and held out her hand for the girl." The barman in the village told me about it yesterday." Gabrielle let herself be lifted on to Argo and she settled behind Xena again. Why hadnt she told her about that? she thorght. Xena felt the tense grip at her waist as she urged Argo. The horse ate up the ground and for hour after hour the sun beat down on them. They did stop, twice, but only to take a drink and walk the horse to cool her down and then they continued on and by very late afternoon Xena finally called a halt to the day's travel. Gabrielle jumped down first and began to forage for firewood." No fire Gabrielle we dont want to advertise where we are." she said as she began to take off Argo's saddle." Gabrielle threw the small bits down. That would mean no hot food and drink and no warmth through the night and it also meant they were in a dangerous area and they probably wouldnt get any sleep either and Gabrielle groaned at the prospect. Back in Potadia she had often dreamt of sleeping under the stars but she had never imagined the nights where they would be unable to sleep for reasons of the dangers of just being with Xena and it was not one of those things she enjoyed. She grabbed the pack containing the wool blankets and the oiled sheet that could be used either on the ground or to protect them from rain while Xena did her job of grooming Argo. The atmosphere was still tense Xena felt as Gabrielle clattered eating utencils and bowls and cut the bread, cheese and arrange anything else she could find to fill their stomachs that didnt need to be cooked.
Ares appeared at that moment and both women turned to him as he sniffed the air seemingly unconcerned at their surprised reaction to his arrival." Maybe I have been overlooking." He muttered suddenly taking a lot more interest in the bard than usual." Hello there." he said smileing to her and ignoring the warrior who in two quick steps had got close enough to the god to at least hit him." ARES. What are you doing?" Xena shouted and his eyes turned to her." You dont have much time Xena and I wouldnt be thinking of useing that monster if I were you. It's called Thyrus by the way and it's really nasty." Xena looked coldly at him." I wasnt but then if you say I shouldnt." Ares shrugged." It's your funeral." he said eyeing the bard who stared back at him in a near state of exstacy. There was something going on Ares was paying close attention to Gabrielle, too close. It was bad enough Gabrielle was giving him the 'come on big boy' look and the god was takeing notice of it and had moved to the girl with an expression Xena recoqnised, the one he gave to all of his sexual conquests. Seeing this Xena put herself between the two of them which earned an angry growl from the bard and a jeering laugh by the dissapearing god.
Xena swore under her breath and turned to an enfuriated Gabrielle." What in Tartarus do you think you were doing?" Gabrielle stared." What do you mean what am I doing? Your thinking of useing that monster!" her voice rising and Xena sighed, this was it." He was wrong I wasnt going for it, but if he says dont, there's a reason and I wanna know it and as for you, you were all over him just now like one of Meg's girls. Normally you would stay clear of him." Gabrielle's frown deepened." Oh that's rich coming from you well you would know what that's like wouldnt you. Your normally all over him yourself. What's the matter? jealous because Ares is takeing notice of me instead of you or is he off limits, no one else allowed to have him is that it? well I got news for you Warrior Princess maybe I would like to have a go, maybe have some fun myself maybe have a man. MAYBE I WOULD LIKE YOU NOT MAKEING JUDGEMENTS OF ME." Gabrielle shouted and she spun round and stormed off into the encroaching darkness leaveing Xena standing with her mouth open utterly speachless.
Blinded by her tears Gabrielle came to a stop and fell to the ground. She hadnt meant to say so much of her inner thorghts and she hadnt meant to be so blatant about it when she had looked at the god of war. Xena had called her a whore! What an accusation and coming from her of all people. Xena had more than enough experiances of acting the whore and to accuse her of that was just plain nasty. After all they had been through together. Shared good times and bad together, shared love and bed together and she remembered the first time they had consumated their love and the incredible sensations she had felt and groaned. Alright she had been mezmerised by his good looks and she had wanted him, imagining how he would look naked but she didnt deserve being called that. She began to cry again wetting her face with hot tears. It wasnt fair Xena always got to seduce the bad guys and even some good guys. But she hadnt had the chance to have sex with anyone other than her husband Perdicus and Xena and then she remembered the unfortunate experiance with Iphito and shook it off. She wasnt at fault over that she thorght plus Xena had been much worse she had betrayed her with Ephiny, a sister Amazon and she had known what she was doing. She was the whore. Then she heard a strange noise off to her left, she couldnt see anything but Gabrielle knew something was there. She rose slowly and as quietly as she could and looked around and realised she couldnt see the camp. She heard a srange breathing sort of noise and she looked to where it had come from and then saw a huge red baleful looking eye. The head must be enormous Gabrielle thorght as it turned and she saw the other and she took slow steps backwards and felt the hot breath on her face. Gabrielle didnt wait to see what it was.
Ares looked to his sister with a bored air." Where's dad, still chasing Helios or has he given up on the Amazon and gone after that Nyiad he's had his eyes on?" The goddess looked very upset." I dont know and what have you been up to? Have you been messing with my potion box? it was supposed to be a bit of fun for them and now it`s been perverted. That is SO NOT RIGHT my friends." Ares looked inocently but there was a sly smile behind his eyes. " What would I want with your love potions? I dont need your potions."
" Then why is my potion marked Nymphomania half full and I have not used it. It's new and untried and I dont know what it will do. They will think it was me. Ares." Aphrodite yelled crossing her arms over her ample chest. Ares yawned. " It's about time to experiment. The bard's of interest I admit and I`d love to break her down. Dont sweat it sis while Dad's still after the Amazon their ok but if you want Xena to beat Zeus when he turns his attention to her she's got to be ready for him dont you think?" Aphodite stamped her foot indignantly. " That's not the point Ares their meant to be together and not with you in the middle." Ares smiled." Xena has always forght better when she's had a good fu." Aphrodite shouted." I dont know what your up to but I want no part of your little game Ares it's not about love, you can leave me out of it. That goes for my potions too." Ares looked hard at his sister." My games are not little and what you gonna do about it throw water over them with rose petals? and for your information the potion works." Then he laughed as he dissapeared.
What happened? It had been so quick it was over before she had a chance to stop Gabrielle from going off who knows where into the night. Xena felt terrible, she had as good as called Gabrielle a whore, she had been horrible to her. In a few short tempered words they had blown up at each other and she didnt know how it had happened. Damn Ares. He started it, he had set on Gabrielle as soon as soon as he appeared. Usually he didnt bother with her but the way Gabrielle had been acting lately she had gone for him in ways Xena couldnt have imagined. Ok she had felt a twinge of jelousy when she saw Gabrielle drooling over him but that hadnt been the reason she was so annoyed with the girl. Since leaveing the Amazons Gabrielle had been acting quite outrageously, she had looked at everyone she had come close to in a way that had brought undue interest in her and she had been overly demanding with her in the 'sack' It wasnt at all like the Gabrielle she knew and loved. Ares loved to think himself the strategist and trickster, when he wasnt enjoying the chaos of battle and to see him encourageing Gabrielle like that had been like torture. Xena wondered where Gabrielle had got to, she couldnt leave the camp and out there she wasnt sure if Gabrielle could see her way back ( If she wanted to ) and after what she had said to her she doubted Gabrielle would, but Xena struck the flint and lit the small torch and stuck into the ground anyway. A fire would give her position away. Not to the gods, they could find her whenever they wanted but if Thyrus was around she wanted Gabrielle to know which way she was.
Gabrielle turned and ran. She could hear it behind her and forght down the panic then she saw the light and ran for it. Xena heard a low rumbling sound and saw Gabrielle running fast toward her she doused the light as she grabbed the bard throwing her to the ground and covered her in one of the blankets and then covered herself and she heard Argo gallop away as a very large dark thing flew over very low beating the air with a whooshing sound as it passed over them. Xena watched as the dark shape gained height and turned back and they lay silent as the huge shadow came over again and then moved on. When they were sure it had gone and wasnt comeing back they both sat up." What is that?" Gabrielle asked looking white as a sheet." Thyrus I'd say, It's a drakon." Xena said." Now we know what sort of a monster it is, you were lucky it didnt breathe it's fire." Gabrielle felt herself growing faint. " A firebreather and I thorght it was going to eat me." They sat in the darkness watching out for the drakon's return until the first rays of the sun heralded a new day.
With the morning light saw the return of Argo and Xena rose and walked over to her and began to tickle her nose as the mare lipped at her fingers in greeting. Her first true friend and one who didnt argue with her Xena thorght ruefully as she put the bridle over the horse's head. She looked back at Gabrielle who had began to pack away their hadnt spoken and the bard refused to look at her keeping her eyes fixed on the tasks as she busied about clearing the campsite." Gabrielle." she didnt look at her but said." No." so firmly that Xena didnt take it futher and she picked up the saddle and the blanket, she threw the banket over Argo and settled the saddle over the horse and tightened the straps. Gabrielle was determind not to make it easy for them both and there was a deafening silence as they mounted and resumed their journey. Twice more Xena tried to get Gabrielle to talk but it came to nought. The bard cut Xena short each time and refused to let the warrior speak. No other things happened and they rode on and saw the steady rise of the mountain chain showing they were getting closer to them and by midday they finally saw the trees covering the lower slopes. Gabrielle felt her heart miss a beat and speculated the thorght, they were going toward the drakon's lair and it sent a chill through her, would they have to climb? Xena had said they were only skirting the mountain Gabrielle knew by experiance that Xena had a habit of doing things she said she wouldnt do, so Gabrielle felt no better the closer they got. What's the betting she thorght grimly. She stared into Xena's back watching her muscles rippling at her shoulders as she kept Argo under a tight rein. She wanted to speak even yell at her but the words wouldnt come out, they seemed to get stuck when they got to her throat. She felt Xena's movements under her leathers and the sensations rose again inside her. Wasnt she angry with her? shouldnt that stop her from feeling that way? but the feelings grew and became intense and uncomfortable again. Xena seemed to be makeing Argo go faster and she tightened her grip round Xena's waist. She was about to tell Xena to stop then she saw it high in the sky. The drakon Thyrus. So that was the reason Xena was pushing the horse so hard.
Xena saw Thyrus clearly and was urging Argo on before the monstrous creature spotted them. It had a flat broad reptillian head with a long neck and scaled body and legs with clawed feet and long leathery wings attached to it's shoulders and ending with a long tail that whipped around behind it. The horse sensed what Xena wanted of her and the mare given her head stretched out and flew like the wind. Xena kept her eye on the beast any moment now it would turn and catch sight of them and then Thyrus began to make a lazy turn to the right and in that moment it saw the horse and riders and it dived. It flew past and then turned and came at them from behind. Xena kicked Argo in the whithers Gabrielle screamed and the horse lept the final space into the forest as the Drakon beat the air above them, riseing so as not to crash into the trees. Once they were under the canopy Argo stopped short suddenly and pitchforked the women over her head as a spout of flame the first line of trees caught and the flames rose up. Xena landed on her back winding her, Gabrielle fared no better and went into a bramble bush and as Xena rose she came out covered in scratches. They heard Thyrus circling above trying to find a way in. Xena led them on into the thickest part. Thyrus was still circling.
Xena loosend the saddle straps on Argo and tickled the horse's nose in way of thanks while Gabrielle sat and studied her wounds, they were not serious but bramble scratches were notorious for turning bad and she delved into the bag for the medicines and then applied the stinging liquid to the scratches. Gabrielle still wouldnt look at Xena. The atmospheare was still frosty and Xena thorght it was all over. Another night of silent recrimination. She said too much and had gone too far and whatever Gabrielle had done her so called friend Xena should have treated her better than that Dabrielle wouldnt forgive her this time. She really felt their relationship was all but over and Gabrielle was only there because she couldnt leave. They set up camp like so many times the'd done before but there was now a sad silence hanging over them both that neither bard nor warrior could break through. The day slowly drew to an end and Xena got up and said she was going to walk the perimeter. She left the camp first to see if Thyrus had really gone but also because she couldnt stand the forced silence in the camp. They had always talked out their problems but now they couldnt look at each other she couldnt get past Gabrielle's cold stare and refusal to enter into any conversation with her. It was simply awful the chatterbox she had so often wished to be quiet was now so silent it scared her. She was loseing her and she didnt know what to do about it. Xena saw the burnt trees Thyrus had set fire to and was pleased the fire hadnt spread and there was no sign of the drakon either and she turned back toward the camp but Xena had no wish to get back there and see the proof of the pain she had caused.
Gabrielle sighed as she looked in the bag. There was very little raw food they could eat and there was only the dried makeings for stew which without a fire they couldnt eat. Her stomach grumbled. she was hungry and but she dug out a trail stick and sucked on it to quell her stomach rumbles. It was a concoction Xena had come up with for such times as these. A bit of bran and a few currants and other soft fruit bonded together by a little fat and It kept one going until proper food could be had. She sat there and waited, there wasnt anything she could do in the dark. Except dream and she day dreamed of a particular night with Xena. She couldnt help it she saw the visions and she couldnt get them out of her head and it was doing things to her. Oh gods she needed relief and she began to touch herself. Suddenly there was a flash of light and the goddess Aphrodite appeared surounded in pink sparkles before her and Gabrielle quickly recovered herself and adjusted her clotheing. The goddess supressed her urge to giggle, she had seen what the bard was doing but this was not the time for taking the. " Where's Xena." She asked as she looked around her expecting to see the warrior. Gabrielle shrugged." Dunno. dont care." Gabrielle rose to her feet. Her senses were rageing and seeing the near naked goddess was just sending her into a complete tizz. She moved toward the goddess and caressed her cheek and then she moved to touch her breast. Aphrodite jumped back." Nooo sweet cheeks. I can't I mean I should'nt, not with you." she said and saw Gabrielle's face fall dissapointed." I have to talk with you, both of you."she said Gabrielle slumped down on the ground." You'll just have to wait because I dont know when she'll be back." Aphrodite sighed and sat down but kept her distance." Are you two having some kind of a problem?" she looked at Gabrielle and the bard laughed but it wasnt the happy sort of laugh Aphrodite had expected." You could say that." Gabrielle said thickly. Aphrodite couldnt see her face clearly so couldnt quite work out what she meant. " You know we could do with a bit of light here." she said peering at the bard and Gabrielle laughed again." Not likely there' s a dirty great Drakon looking for us." Aphrodite looked suprised." Oh I see, whatever for?" Gabrielle nearly choked on her trail stick.
Xena returned and saw the two women talking quietly to each other about drakons and said. " You can strike a light now Thyrus has gone." Gabrielle did so as Xena bore down over Aphrodite and crossed her arms." And what do we owe this pleasure?" Xena asked pointedly to the goddess." Ah. I didnt do it you must believe me." Aphrodite said quickly and Xena's face darkened." What didnt you do?" Aphrodite winced." The pep I gave you was tainted, mixed with a new potion I've been working on for my obsession range." Aphrodite said fluffing at a bit of lace at her bustline." It's called Nymphomania." " What does this new potion do?" Xena asked suspiciously. "Gives you a need for sexual gratification all the time, at best a few drops should only be given and I found the phial half empty." Gabrielle groaned recogniseing the symptoms she was suffering and they looked at each other, not saying it but they knew. The goddess absentmindedly fluffed up a bit of lace at her bustline." What in Hades do you need a potion like that for?!" Xena thundered furiously. Aphrodite shrugged." Oh it's ok for you but I get humans coming to me for partners who have lost their drive or never had it, it helps them you know." Xena growled. " So why am I not affected? Ok ok so how do we stop it then?" Aphrodite's face changed and looked mildly concerned." I dont know, it might wear off, given time." Gabrielle's groan got louder." Might! But what if it does'nt?"
Readers note: Drakon is the Greek name for Dragons and there are plenty in the myths. Although Thyrus is mentioned in a story of the late 13th centuary. Reviews are always appreicated so you know what to do. Any mistakes tell me in a PM.
