A BROKEN VESSEL WHICH CAN'T HOLD WATER
Gabrielle breathed in deeply it was around midnight and the full moon was very high in the sky tonight. She was in werewolf form lying on the marble floor eyeing the two design concepts which she'd made, nether of which she could decide up on. She had an idea for a tall standing carving which would be for Fedora's new teaching room which the children would hopefully like. The idea was that it would ether be a carving of Jason taking the Golden Fleece from the hydra or Peruses defeating the Kraken. At first she'd considered Theses but had thought better of it as Theses had never been a popular hero in Greece in fact he had been hated because of his self centred nature and cruelty. His vile and cruel nature towards the none human races had finally resulted in him being crucified by a Roman noble called Spartacus after he had betrayed the Roman werewolf Fortis Rebels who were led by two brothers named Romulus and Remus.
She'd never met ether of them but she'd been told that Remus was un-mistakable as he was an albino werewolf with white hair and red eyes. Albinos were very rare in general as werewolf healing normally fixed problems, but Remus had been born with a poor healing. He didn't heal as well as a normal werewolf and his healing factor couldn't cure his fur and eye problems, because of this he was also quite thin and lacked muscle. Romulus was his bigger stronger brother with pure black fur and green eyes and he was protected his younger brother with a passion and he would kill anyone who tried to harm him. Spartacus was their human ally who supplied them with all their weapons and food, his vast power in his noble household meant that he could give them anything and he was willing to kill for them in exchange for protection from his enemies.
It was very much a secret in Rome but every Greek werewolf knew about it, she had heard about it as the brothers had wanted to start all out war in Rome and kill all those in power who were controlling the dog fights as well as any human's who got in their way. They'd even sent a message to her asking for her help when she taken the throne as Horn Hind but she'd refused them despite that the Imperial Council had wanted nothing more than to join them. She would not have any part what so ever in a Roman blood bath where innocent men, women and children were massacred. On top of this she didn't want their war spilling out over in to Greece as it would effect her people. They'd be caught up in a blood bath and she'd be forced to fight a war which she wanted no part in and the bastards on the Imperial Council would use the war as an excuse to kill hundreds of innocent people in Greece and hunt down any werewolves who had fled the underground cities and kill them.
She turned the parchment with her clawed finger eyeing her drawings why couldn't she ever make up her mind when it came to her carvings? Her thoughts were suddenly broken as a scream of anger hit the air followed by the unmistakeable sound of shattering of pottery. She looked up sharply normally she didn't concern herself with the sounds that came from the Xena's room but she'd never liked the sound of pottery breaking. It reminded her off the time she'd spent as a trainee when she'd heard depressed young teenagers crying because they didn't want to be werewolves or warriors. While others were crying because they missed their parents who had died or been killed, so they had started to trash things in their rooms. She slowly stood up on her hind legs using her clawed foot to push her sketches carefully to one side as she walked towards the middle door.
She carefully pushed the door open watching as the Empress came in to view, she could see a goblet in her hand, she breathed in instantly smelling the wine which pieced her senses all too suddenly. She eyed the floor catching sight of the broken pottery which had been a wine jug. She eyed the taller woman who was clearly drunk and half stumbling in her velvet robe. "Xena?" Xena looked up ignoring the feeling of drunkenness which was filling her senses as she brought the goblet to her lips swallowing the last of the wine before throwing the goblet on to the table not caring where it landed. She couldn't remember when she'd started drinking only that it had happened after she'd started thinking about the idea that she'd remain childless for ever and she'd found that thought so deeply depressing that she wanted to drown it away with wine.
She'd found one drink turning to another and now she was completely drunk yet she didn't care, she felt a smile form as she leaned against her chair raising her hand. "Why hello there, do come in." She looked up slightly. "So what do you werewolves have children or is puppies?" She smirked drunkenly. "No wait puppies, isn't that the pet name for your breasts, the ones you have under all that fur?" Gabrielle slowly stepped inside the room the other woman was clearly very drunk, even more drunk than the time she'd had her paraded around in front of the royals. The big difference was that right now she was being a lustful drunk, rather than a cruel emotionless drunk. She felt her body freeze she could just walk out of the room and not look back but something told her that, that just wouldn't we be right thing to do and if she did walk out right now she'd hate herself in the morning for not doing the right thing.
Xena was clearly too drunk to stand and if she drank anymore she'd probably make herself really ill if she wasn't feeling ill already having downed a full pottery jug of wine before smashing it against the wall. Her gaze drifted to the white wall opposite she could see what was left of the wine dripping down it staining it red. She looked up slightly speaking calmly. "Werewolves can only have one or two children at a time Xena we don't have litters like dogs do." Xena breathed in painfully. "Must be real nice to a have child, you probably have no issue conceiving because of that healing factor of yours right?" Gabrielle breathed in deeply she wasn't really sure where this was going. "It's not well known for werewolves to have problem conceiving no, why do you ask?"
Xena sat herself down in the chair despite how hard it was to focus. "You're so lucky I'd love to be you." She tensed as she spoke again. "You're beautiful in human form and you still look good in werewolf form." Gabrielle eased up her clawed hand. "That's very nice of you to say but you are drunk." Xena sat up sharply. "I'm not drunk!" She raised her hand as best she could. "Plus your one to talk, you get high by smoking opium." Gabrielle breathed in sharply trying to ignore the anger as it twisted in her stomach she hated people pointing out that fact, even if it was true. She shook her head letting her anger go there was no point in being angry she was talking to a woman who was very drunk and who wasn't thinking straight. "Yes I smoke opium, I guess everyone has weakness." Xena lowered her gaze sadly. "Yes they do." She spoke again unable to keep the pain and sadness from her voice. "I guess mine is that I can't conceive." Gabrielle blinked in surprise she moved closer to the other woman. "You can't have children?" Xena looked up slightly ignoring the groggy, feeling in her mind. "Apparently not I'm the Empress of Greece and I can't even conceive, how pathetic."
She paused as dark thought went through her mind as she met Gabrielle's gaze. "Maybe you can help me." Gabrielle looked at her for a long moment before speaking. "I don't understand?" Xena stood up moving towards her she pulled her robes sleeve up as the feeling the intense pain in her heart as she raised her arm. "Bite me! Make me like you, so my body can heal and I can have children!" Gabrielle stepped back she could see the desperation in the other woman's eyes staring back at her. She now understood why she was drunk she wasn't handling the truth of not being able to have children very well. She eased up a clawed hand pushing her arm down speaking calmly. "No Xena." Xena didn't think as she grabbed the fur on her friend's chest with the other hand as her anger began to truly burn. "No you can't or no you won't!?"
Gabrielle eyed her hand which was clinging to her chest. "I can't give you what you want, it's not possible." Xena eyed her in disgust. "You're a werewolf you bite humans and then they become like you, how is it not possible!?" Gabrielle eased her clawed hand down gently freeing the other woman's hand from her chest. "I don't carry the curse anymore." She shook her head ignoring the shock as it filled the light blue eyes. "You see the horns on my head that's the reason I can't give you want you want. I can no longer turn people, it's the price every Horn Hind pays when we are given these horns as there can only ever be one." She breathed in painfully. "Even if I did have the ability to turn you I wouldn't make you like me, you wouldn't want that believe me, once you loose your humanity you can never get it back and being this way makes for a hard life."
Xena felt herself freeze on the spot she wanted to call Gabrielle a liar yet she knew better the other woman never lied it wasn't in her nature and she refused to go down that path with her again. She was drunk but this time around she wouldn't be stupid she breathed in feeling Gabrielle gently let go of her hand, she looked down feeling the sadness take over. "There's always a price for being in a position of power isn't there?" Gabrielle breathed in deeply. "Yes there is but I don't consider not being able to turn people as my price." Xena looked up she could see the sadness in the green eyes she blinked in confusion. "What do you see as your price?" Gabrielle shook her mane. "I've lost everyone I loved, my family, my childhood best friend and the one I loved." She lowered her gaze to the decorative floor. "You are fortunate with in this beautiful palace you have people who love you and who serve you because they admire you."
Xena looked up slightly even though she was drunk Gabrielle's reply had taken her completely by surprise. She put a hand on her face trying to clear the haze. "You are part of my family here, I consider you my friend." She raised her other hand. "What's mine is yours." Gabrielle smiled but she knew it was a sad smile. "That's kind of you to say." In truth it was a very kind statement but Xena being drunk sadly meant that it might not be true. She knew full well that when people were drunk they could be much nicer than normal it was the alcohol talking. Xena moved back to sit down in her chair she was now starting to feel the painful sway of the room as the alcohol sunk in fully.
She was fighting it though as she had one question she really wanted to ask. "How did you and Damokles get together? I've always wanted to know." Gabrielle looked up slowly she normally didn't tell people about that moment as it had been one of the most profound moments in her life, but somehow it felt right to talk about it maybe because Xena being drunk made her personality much more open. She slowly walked forward on all fours moving opposite chair where she sat down seeing that the light blue eyes were looking at her intensely. She closed her eyes for a long moment before opening them. "It happened the same night we stole the eagle from the Roman's."
8
Damokles looked up as Gabrielle walked inside his tent which had a warm fire burning inside it. He breathed in deeply seeing her confusion, which was understandable for all the time they'd been together they normally only talked strategies or recruits and didn't talk about their personal lives. He wouldn't lie he had watched her grow up from a young girl in to a beautiful mature woman who was a gifted warrior and good at leading others. He'd wanted to keep her by his side the rules stated that every captain could have a second in command, it was optional. He'd never wanted one in all these years, but he wanted her so badly that he'd pulled out the strings to make it so.
It was no lie that three other captains wanted her and he'd refused to give her up to any of them. The last thing he wanted was for her to go to any of them especially not to that woman called Adrienne she corrupted everything she touched. He'd seen the way she looked at her like she was nice piece of ass which she could sleep with. That was Adrienne's mentality though she slept with any gender just so she could move up in the world, it was how she'd gotten her position as captain. Strange to think that Gabrielle had the same sexual tastes as her but he'd never seen her use sex as a weapon or a tool. To her sleeping with anyone regardless of gender was about commitment, she'd long since lost her interest in having sex for fun. There was no law against relationships among the warriors there never had been, warriors were free to pick and choose so long they kept with in the rule of half breeds not sleeping with full werewolves and vice versa.
Not that, that was an issue anymore the half breed population was now much bigger than the full werewolf's population despite the death rate. This was something which the Imperial Council had overlooked and now were having issues with due to their short sightedness. After all it was much easier to a turn human than wait for eight months for a full werewolf to give birth to a daughter or son. He breathed in adjusting his fur skin which was covering his armoured shoulders he hadn't transformed as he was very warm. He looked up slowly. "Ah there you are." Gabrielle breathed in deeply easing up her hand adjusting her wrist gauntlet. "You asked for me?" Damokles smiled easing up his hand. "Please sit down."
Gabrielle slowly sat herself down she was still confused as to why had he had brought her in to his private tent. Damokles raised a hot tankard of tea handing it to her watching as she took it. "Its green tea it'll warm you up." He took a sip from his own metal tankard watching as she drunk she looked very beautiful in the firelight, it brought out all the lighter green hues in her eyes and the gold tones in her hair. "We've never really talked have we?" Gabrielle blinked looking up. "No I don't think we have." Damokles felt his smile widen. "I've always wanted to apologise to you, but I've never found the right moment." Gabrielle raised her hand. "If it's about the flogging back when I was nineteen please don't feel bad I know you meant well by sending me out on that mission, I just screwed it up I'm not the right person to bring in werewolves who have escaped from the Grand City."
Damokles breathed in deeply. "You let that woman go though didn't you?" Gabrielle felt herself tense sharply. "No, she escaped." Damokles shook his head. "Please Gabrielle you shouldn't lie to me, the reason I kept you as my second in command is because you have a high sense of honour and you say what you feel not what you think I want to hear. In my private tent you can say just what you feel as this conversation is between us no body else will ever hear what we talk about, I promise you that." Gabrielle breathed in deeply. "I let her go yes." Damokles sipped his drink. "I thought you did, I would have done the same." He ignored the shock as it spread across her face. "The Imperial Council doesn't make things fair for those not born from werewolf parents." Gabrielle looked at the fire. "No they don't."
Damokles felt his smile widen as he put down his tankard. "That's something I'm glad we agree on." He lowered his gaze feeling his smile fade. "But that was not what I wanted to apologise for, I want to apologise because I was the one who bit you and turned you all those years ago. I've wanted to speak to you about this for years, but the moment has never been right in my mind." Gabrielle turned back to look at the fire she should have known this day was coming. "I've known that it was you for a long time, at first I hated you for it but I guess as the years went by I learnt how to deal with it. I mean you were saving me, the leader of the slavers would have raped me or worse." Damokles breathed in deeply putting his hands together. "I saw how brave you were you set free all the other women before yourself."
He lowered his gaze. "I admired that so much, it's the law that if you see someone worthy of becoming a werewolf you bite them." Gabrielle looked up slightly as she put her empty tankard down. "Damokles you don't have to explain yourself I know what you were doing that night, I've turned many men and women during the time I've been here it's just part of the order of things." She looked deeper in to the fire. "You see yourself almost like their parent, even though your not, but it's very rarely that they confront you over it, not that I blame them it's hard to face your maker." Damokles raised an eyebrow. "Very true, though I confess I got to know the person who turned me early on, I knew him right up until he died many years back."
Gabrielle turned slightly. "That's must have been nice to be friends with your maker and get on so well." Damokles watched as she pushed her long hair back which was well over her shoulders. "Tell me do you have any friends in your life? I don't mean to pry its just I see you standing alone a lot of the time." Gabrielle looked down feeling a twinge of sadness. "I don't trust many people it's the reason why I keep to myself." Damokles breathed in deeply. "You don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend to go home to?" Gabrielle breathed in sharply, her sexuality was no secret but people very rarely brought it up when talking to her. "No I don't have a partner waiting for me back in the Grand City." Damokles felt a smile form. "I'm surprised, beautiful woman like you I'd have thought that they would be banging down your door."
Gabrielle looked at her hands. "You don't have to flatter me, I know I'm not beautiful, how could I ever be with this ugly scar across my right eye." Damokles blinked in surprise, he hadn't expected her to say that. Clearly she didn't see the truth and she had low self esteem when it came to how she saw herself. "I'm not trying to flatter you, I think you're very beautiful, I always have." He felt a playful smile form. "As for your scar it only adds to your beauty." Gabrielle turned away trying to hide her slight embarrassment. "Thank you." She looked at the fire. "You're very kind." She turned only to feel the breath leave her as she met light blue gaze. "I should go…I'm taking up your time…your probably busy."
Damokles gently took hold of her arm as she stood up. "No don't leave." He pulled her slightly closer seeing her eyes suddenly dart it was clear that she was nervous, he slowly stood up moving his hand through her long blonde hair watching as she froze. "Do you know I've always enjoyed your presence even though we've never spoken much?" He breathed in deeply leaning down slightly so their faces were almost touching. "You have very beautiful eyes they remind me of lush spring forests when the suns hitting them, when I bit you that night that was the thing that drew me to you." He eased up his finger running it under her lip in a gentle caress. "You have a very noble and beautiful soul and you deserve to be happy, you shouldn't be alone, you should be loved."
Gabrielle felt his lips meet hers it was a feather light kiss followed by another which was deeper and more passionate her emotions felt like they were being pulled in two different directions. He was her captain and her superior and she wasn't sure if this was allowed. Yet the sensation was so warm and loving it was unlike anything she'd experienced in a long time. Nearly all her flings in her younger years with other werewolves had been about sex, love, warmth and tenderness had played no part in them. She liked the feeling it was something she'd deeply missed in all her time here, and she couldn't stop herself sinking in to the sensation. It was so nice to feel another person's love again it brought back the warm feeling of her first kisses in her youth. She breathed in feeling herself submit as she began to respond, she no longer cared for what was right and wrong, she just wanted this feeling to carry on.
8
Xena looked up feeling a rush of emotion, she could remember how it felt to be loved that way by someone and Gabrielle's words hid nothing. She eased her hand up running it through the golden mane which was as soft as silk watching as Gabrielle looked up. "You really loved him I can see it in your eyes." Gabrielle moved her clawed hand up easing the other woman's hand away. "Yes I did." Xena stood up then slowly sat herself in front of her closest friend. She threw her arms around furry body ignoring the surprise in the green eyes. The fur was as soft as silk it was like being on a fur skin rug. She felt the tears flow as she began to cry in to it. "I thought my husband loved me that way, but then he tried to have me murdered."
Gabrielle raised both clawed hands she suddenly felt completely out of her element no one ever hugged her, let alone cried against her. She took in a sharp breath unable to block out the other woman's tears, which she couldn't block out despite lowering her ears. She let out a deep breath lowering one hand and putting it around the dark haired woman's waist as she spoke gently. "I'm sorry he tried to kill you." She tensed slightly she was no good at this she'd never given anyone comfort apart from Damokles but that had been so long ago and it felt so distant to her now. She knew though that to pull away would hurt the other woman deeply as she was bearing her soul to her right now. Xena took in a breath holding the fur tighter despite her tears it was so comfortable it was like being wrapped in warm fur sheet skin blanket. Just like kind that her mother used to wrap around her as a child after a bath before sitting her on her knee and telling her stories about heroes and adventures before putting her to bed.
She missed her mother, she missed her love so much she'd always had the answers and now that she was gone it only added to her loneliness. She pushed her head further in to the fur, feeling the clawed hand stroking her back with a warm tenderness the claws were pulled up so they didn't touch her robe and only the flat paw pad was touching her. She looked up slightly as she spoke. "Maybe he tried to kill me because I couldn't have children." She felt the tears run down her face. "I wish he'd been as loving as your partner." Gabrielle lowered her head slightly so it was closer to the other woman's. "I don't think your husband tried to kill you because you couldn't conceive Xena, its sounds as though he loved power more than he loved you. I think you are a very kind person and you try to do what's right for your people." She shook her mane slightly. "Including me and you should be happy."
Xena moved her fingers through the fur feeling those words sink in they were said so honestly and without expecting any thing in return. She breathed in taking control of her emotions as she eyed her friend who now had her ears lowered she was being so kind and gentle. She felt her eyes dart Gabrielle never expected anything from anyone and it was very clear that under her guarded front there was a very kind and good natured person who wanted to help others. She stood up wiping away the last of her tears then wrapped both her arms Gabrielle's furry neck holding on tightly. "You're such a kind and honest person, your life has been so unfair, you should have everything you want." Gabrielle rolled her eyes as she turned her head only to see that the dark haired woman's robe had fallen slightly open due to her actions.
She took in a deep breath forcing her head the other way away from the view of her breasts as she put her clawed hand around her waist. "You should be sleeping Xena." She didn't think as she stood up on her hind legs sharply picking up the other woman in the process. She walked quickly towards the bed putting her down on it ignoring her sudden yelp of surprise. She grabbed the thick cover pulling it over her in a swift motion. "You're not going to feel very good when you wake up tomorrow morning." Xena looked up trying to ignore the spinning in her head. "I'll be fine tomorrow." Gabrielle stepped away from her bed. She could tell even now that Xena was about to pass out she could see it in her eyes which were starting to glaze over. Frankly she was surprised that the other woman was even conscious and coherent having drunken as much wine as she had. "Goodnight Xena."
She watched as the dark haired woman lay back as she blew out the candle by her bedside plunging the room in to darkness. The other woman looked around her then looked up no doubt catching sight of her eyes reflecting in the darkness. Xena looked at reflective green eyes for a long moment before lying back on her pillows her eyes closing as the wine finally sunk in. Gabrielle eyed the now sleeping woman she would have to leave a bowl out for her as well as some water and herbs for her sickness on the bedside table because when she woke up she'd probably have a painful hangover. Hopefully though Xena wouldn't remember any of this conversation and maybe that would be for the best as people said things when they were drunk that they really didn't mean or ended up having to justify their promises it in some way. Xena was clearly much more open when she was this drunk but it didn't mean that she meant anything that she'd said tonight. She shook her head moving towards her door she could deal with this tomorrow though right now it was better to get things ready in her friend's room for when she woke up tomorrow.
End of part 50
Silvermoonlight
I just want to say that this is not a cross over with Spartacus though his name is mentioned the Rome he comes from is not the same as the Rome in the Blood and Sand Series though I confess there are elements of the series in this story.
