THE DEEPEST AND MOST UNKNOWN EMOTION

Xena yawned trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes she'd slept in late this morning and her whole body was aching. She had, had her breakfast but it hadn't made her feel any better. She had decided to take a walk in the royal gardens just to clear her head which felt like a jumbled mess of things she still didn't want to think about after last nights event. She adjusted her armour catching sight of Demetrius who standing by the training ground watching something. She shrugged her shoulders trying to get rid of the dull ache in them as she walked towards him watching as he turned to her his calm voice hitting the air. "Good morning Empress." Xena breathed in deeply. "Good morning." She paused realizing for the first time what he'd been looking at. Gabrielle was some way from them standing close to one of the thick wooden training posts.

She was sparing with both swords intensively it was a rush of fluid motion as she spun the blades in a lightning fast motion practising her style. The interesting thing though was the share intensity of her training she was so deeply focused on her weapons that everything else didn't exist to her at this moment. She was even oblivious to the fact that she was being watched by Demetrius and a few of the other servants, who seemed very perplexed by her training. She turned slowly to Demetrius. "How long has she been training?" Demetrius put a hand on his beard. "About two hour's straight so far she's only stopped once to drink from a water skin but that's it. She clearly takes her training as seriously as you do, since you do two hours a day if not more." He raised an eyebrow as he turned fully to face her. "I see that you took my advice and gave her weapons."

Xena looked away allowing her eyes to fall upon Gabrielle. "You were right, I need her and I need her protection in Iona's absence, she's clearly very gifted when it comes to combat." Demetrius followed her gaze to Gabrielle. "The style she's using is Thracian, but it's much faster because she's not weighted down by a heavy Aspis shield." He looked up slightly. "There are also a few moves she used so far which I've never seen before clearly the werewolves have changed the style slightly. The moves remind me off those from China where the warrior use's his or her heel to spin on or they put their whole body weight in to the blow to make it much faster than normal."

Xena nodded suddenly finding that her full focus was now on Gabrielle whose long fringe was damp with sweat as her now over shoulder length hair flowed through the air with her motions. She could see every one of her muscles rippling even under the white fabric of her shirt as well as her leg muscles tensing under her dark trousers as she forced her heel in to the ground suddenly spinning on it as she swung both swords outwards in a looping motion skimming past the wooden post. She felt herself breath in deeply it had been so long since she'd seen a woman with this much love for fighting and practise she could see it in every swing of Gabrielle's sword. She carried on staring there was no denying that Gabrielle was an attractive and very beautiful woman, though she didn't seem to even realize it.

She had seen that in her after she'd been brought out of the pit but it wasn't just attractiveness and beauty that defined Gabrielle, it was her sense of presence and will power. She didn't just lie back and do as she was told like many others did she fought back. If she thought something wasn't right she'd say how she felt about it, she'd challenged her in so many of their talks and had never given in. Maybe what surprised her most was Gabrielle was a royal figure yet she never seemed to conform to the rules that most royals followed. She wasn't pompous or arrogant, she was kind and thoughtful and people liked her because of this. There was never any political smoke or back stabbing and watching her train truly showed the reason why there wasn't any off this.

The younger woman was clearly a warrior at her heart it was the reason she had such a high sense of honour and nobility about her and when she didn't have the sword in her hand the other part of her personality came in to the light. The clever and focused carpenter who liked to build and create things she had a very clear understanding of moving parts as she could make a small wooden bird whose wings could snap open with a thumb press. The strange thing was that she seemed completely blinkered to her own accomplishments she was always very modest about her carvings and even though she had brought down Iona who was in essence one of her best warriors, she'd not really made a big deal out of it. She breathed in deeply the truth was she always found herself perplexed by Gabrielle and that feeling was still as strong as ever, even now.

"Empress?"

Xena snapped out of her thoughts turning to Demetrius. "Sorry what were you saying?" Demetrius blinked that was a first, the Empress hadn't listened to anything he'd just said her eyes had been completely focused on Gabrielle the whole time. He felt a smile form clearly she liked her in some way he could see it in her eyes. "I was just saying that I'm grateful that you went with my idea of giving Gabrielle weapons." Xena watched as Gabrielle stopped doing a hard thrusting move which she held for a long moment before standing up. She eased both swords up putting them in to the leather scabbards which were crossed on back and attached to a thick leather piece which was partly hidden under her shirts collar.

She turned to Demetrius. "Your idea was a very good one I'm just annoyed with myself for being slow in the up take." Demetrius looked up slightly. "Well you and Gabrielle needed time to work things out so I can understand the delay and as I hear it you two are now friends." Xena raised her eyebrow. "Yes we are." She paused before speaking again. "Would you excuse me for one moment Demetrius?" Demetrius felt his smile widen as he nodded calmly. "Of course Empress." Xena moved slowly towards the younger woman who was taking a long drink from the water skin completely obvious to her presence, she stopped a few feet away from her folding her arms. "You're very skilled with two swords."

Gabrielle pulled the water skin away from her lips she turned sharply watching as the taller dark haired woman came in to view. She poured some water in to her hand then wiped her neck with it feeling its cooling effects. "I'm out of practice it's been a long time since I've been in the thick off battle." Xena stepped closer putting her hand on her shoulder feeling her tense but not as much as she normally did. "When was the last time you were in real battle?" Gabrielle looked up slightly. "When I took werewolf trainees to Mount Nessus with Damokles, we never liked the Romans and we used to fight them at the border, it was truly honourable battle sword to sword, face to face."

Xena looked at her for a long moment. "Your people stop the Roman's getting through that snow mountain?" Gabrielle nodded calmly. "The Roman's created the arena dog fights which the Greek werewolves loath, we go to great lengths to stop them getting through that freezing mountain passage. Even I speak there's probably a werewolf patrol up there right now killing any Roman who tries to get through the pass." Xena blinked feeling the surprise hit home. "I've been sending the best warriors I have up there for years to protect that passage and they always tell me that the place is completely littered with dead Roman bodies, but they have never seen these men die."

Gabrielle looked down slightly. "We spent so much time up in that mountain that we got used to running rings around your warriors and avoiding them when ever we saw them." Xena moved to stand in front of her keeping her hand in place on her shoulder. "Why didn't your people attack mine, why avoid them?" Gabrielle breathed in deeply. "Mount Nessus is as important to us as it is to you, we don't want to start a war on that mountain it's our only way of getting in to Rome as much as it is yours." She looked up slightly she could remember every part of that cold mountain, the blizzards and the ice cold breeze and the distant memories of clashing swords on that mountain passage.

8

Gabrielle sliced her sword's blade across the Roman warrior's throat in a lightning fast motion. She shoved him forward watching as he hit the ground hard his body twitched as death took over while his blood streamed out turning the snow red. She watched as Damokles sword thrust forward going straight in to another Roman's throat. He brought up his heavy boot kicking him in to ground causing more blood to stain the white snow off Mount Nessus. She loathed Roman dog hunting parties, they had one purpose and that was to lure willing werewolves back to Rome. The idea was that these willing werewolves would help them by biting innocent slaves and in doing so would turn them. These slaves would become werewolves and there lives would end in the gladiatorial arenas as the Romans applauded with joy, the whole thing was disgusting on so many levels.

She sneered as she eyed the dead bodies her gaze drifted to her bloody sword she was now twenty one and had become Damokles second in command. They did all there missions together now the others in her unit had been moved to more fitting units which suited them better based on their skills. Her self and Damokles were now training seven very young werewolves warriors turning them in to full warriors, ironically she had been like them some years back. She had never slipped up again after being flogged back when she was nineteen. She had been in agony for four long days after that event. Looking back on it though she was glad it had happened, she wasn't cut out to hunt other werewolves and it wasn't a job she could do, her heart was too conflicted by the notion of capturing innocents among her own kind.

She was far better suited to tracking and getting rid of threats to the werewolf society like humans warriors and such. She breathed out watching as her cold breath travelled though the morning air. She loathed the cold, she'd never liked it that long year alone had always stuck in her mind freezing inside dark caves was no fun. She breathed in pushing one of her swords back in to its scabbard then walked over to the fallen regiment's eagle banner which was now lying in the deep snow soaked in blood, she picked it up eyeing it disgust. One thing that shamed the Romans more than anything was having their banners taken from them. She felt a cruel smile form, oh yes they'd take this one back to the Grand City and display it as a trophy.

"This mans still alive!"

Gabrielle turned watching as one of the recruits forced a man up on to his knees whose shoulder was dripping with blood from a deep wound, oh how nice he could be a messenger. She eyed the recruit. "Pull him up on to his feet." She watched as the young recruit did as he was told instantly, she walked slowly towards the bleeding Roman seeing the fear in his eyes. "I want a chat." She could see Damokles watching her closely near by, she eased up her weapons blade running it across the Roman's lower throat very carefully as not to cut the skin. Her gaze drifted to his armour which gave away his rank as she moved her sword's blade putting the tip under his chin. "How unfortunate for you Centurion, you get to live." The Roman warrior eyed her in disgust before speaking. "You will pay for this! Rome will destroy you, you are a traitor to Julius Caesar and the Greek Empress and their alliance!" Gabrielle raised both eyebrows. "Oh so you haven't heard the news? Julius Caesar died a week ago, rumour has it, it was a high fall from his own balcony possibly murder. Your Emperor is dead and word has it the Empress is going to return Greece. So there is no longer an alliance between our two lands and as off right now you're an intruder on Greek soil."

She moved her sword's tip out from under his chin. "Go tell your leaders that we send them our regards and that we've captured your regiment's eagle." She nodded watching as he was thrown in to the snow by the recruit he got up running in the opposite direction for all he was worth, clearly he knew better than to try anything foolish. She took in a deep breath eyeing the recruits. "As a rule of the Imperial Council you are allowed to take anything you want from the bodies. All food, money and scrolls must be brought back to the Grand City though, if you want trophies like helmets or swords take them." She breathed in deeply watching as they started to look around them at the dead bodies, she'd been doing this for such a long time now and still she didn't care for looting, the whole idea of it really disgusted her even now.

8

Xena looked at the younger woman for a long moment she suddenly felt a smile form. "You took the regiment's eagle?" Gabrielle nodded as she narrowed her gaze. "Yes we took it as a trophy piece." Xena couldn't stop her laugher as it hit the air she leaned forward enjoying the moment. "Oh gods that's so funny, I remember getting the news about that in Rome just before I fled." She stood up slightly trying to gain some control over her laughter. "They kept on telling me that the eagle had been stolen, over and over again and that I had to get it back but I told them it really wasn't any of my concern because I would be leaving in two weeks time and it would be the duty of the next Emperor to find it."

She breathed in finally calming herself. "Where is this eagle now, I've always wanted to know what happened to it?" Gabrielle looked at the other woman for a long moment she didn't really understand what it was she found so amusing. She looked at the grass under her boots as she spoke. "It's in the Grand City it used to be in the Imperial Council's chambers but after I became Horn Hind I took it away from them as they had no right to own it." She carried on staring at the grass under her feet. "I gave it to Damokles it was always his by right as we wouldn't have been able take it if not for his clever tactics that day in mountain." Xena eased up her hand putting it under her chin raising her head very slow causing her green eyes to meet her own. She knew she was very much with in Gabrielle's personal space and that she always tensed when she touched her, even though she touched her gently.

Doing this felt so right to her though deep with in her heart and she didn't really know why. She ignored the younger woman's surprise as she spoke. "I can see why he loved you so much, you always do what's noble and you don't take the glory for yourself even if you deserve some of it." Gabrielle breathed in she had no idea how this had happened it just had. The Empress was holding her head up very gently and she wasn't resisting her may be because it was such a tender and gentle touch. She breathed in sharply snapping out of her thoughts as she took a step back freeing herself completely from the other woman's touch. She felt her eyes dart as looked up. "You think too much off me Xena."

Xena stepped closer to her. "You think to little of yourself Gabrielle, I've met many warriors in my life time but very few have your sense of honour." Gabrielle slowly met her gaze she could see a very strange look in it and the blue eyes did nothing to hide it. It was so similar to the look Damokles used to give her. That longing look that always felt like it was reaching deep in to her heart, she felt her body tense, no she was seeing things it was just a mind playing tricks on her and she should know better than this. Her last lover used to look at her but never in that profound way, she just looked her up and down like a piece of meat she had been more interested in ripping her clothes off and giving her pleasure whether she was in the mood or not, it was always about owning her body because she couldn't touch her heart or soul.

She slowly pulled out her pipe lighting it on one of the still lit fire torches close by, was just confusing herself and being foolish in the process. Xena wasn't looking at her in the way Damokles used to she had no sexual attraction to her, why would she? She wasn't a good looking woman she had an ugly scar on her face and she wasn't that attractive. On top of that she wasn't even human and very few human beings man or woman would sleep with a werewolf. She put the pipe to her mouth breathing in the smoke as she looked up slightly. "I need to go and get a wash, perhaps well talk soon Xena." Xena put her hands behind her back she could see the uncertainty and mild confusion in the other woman's face.

Obviously her last action had been and she'd been very much inside Gabrielle's personal space but somehow she didn't regret doing it, she didn't want to because it felt so right. She watched as Gabrielle turned around walking away from her breathing out the smoke from her pipe. Clearly her actions had made Gabrielle feel out of sorts though, she only ever smoked when she felt tense about things. She really wished that just for once the younger woman would just open up to her, she was forever wondering what was going on behind those forest green eyes. She was also sure that under all that tension was a charming and charismatic personality trying to break free. At least now though she smiled even though it was something of a half smile and never a full smile it showed that some of her emotion wounds were starting to heal, if only slightly.

End of part 49

Silvermoonlight

Thank you every one for your kind reviews, feedback and messages I really appreciate them. Also for recommended reading please check out Xena fan fiction by Hazmot, Stardawn 19, DarkMoroseXena, Korkyra, Ideasofmany, Bexteron1990, Phineas Redux and The Mighty Lu Bu.