This story will contain the following: two women as life partners and mothers, spankings to minor children, and anyone else whom the author deems needs it.
The rights of Xena, Gabrielle, Cyrene, Argo, etc. belong to REN pics and whomever else makes a profit from using them. I own nothing.
All that said, enjoy.
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Whatcha doing, Sam?" Eve's voice broke Daria and I apart and I groaned.
"Little bit, what are you doing here?" I demanded as I looked at her.
"Following you," she shrugged. "I'm tracking." She held her staff out and grinned at me. "You were easy to follow. Why are you and Daria kissing?"
Rubbing my hand down my face I groaned again and then punched Daria on the arm as she laughed. "Never you mind what Daria and I are doing," I finally said. "Come on, let's get you back to wherever you're supposed to be."
"But I wanna track!" Eve put out her lower lip and sat down on the ground. "You never do anything with me anymore," she protested.
Sighing I pulled her up and knelt in front of her. "I'm sorry, little bit." Hugging her to me I looked up at Daria and smiled as she winked at me.
"See ya later, Trouble," Daria said before waving to me. "Sam."
"Thanks." I watched Daria walk for a few minutes before bringing my attention back to Eve. "How would you like to practice tracking skills with your big sister today?"
"Really?"
I nodded, "Yep. I am sorry if you feel I've been ignoring you, little bit."
"It's okay," Eve finally spoke as she took my hand. "Just don't do it anymore," she directed.
"I'll do my best," I agreed walking towards the outskirts of the village with her. "Now, let's see how your tracking skills are coming along," I prodded.
Eve's face turned serious and she began to look at the ground before breaking into a hug smile. "Is that a rabbit, Sam?"
I nodded, "It is. Good job, now what else do you see?"
Getting on her hands and knees, Eve studied the dirt carefully and then looked up at me, her face serious. "Sam, what's that?"
She pointed and I knelt looking at the print in front of her, "That is trouble, little bit." Taking the staff from her, I motioned for her to climb on my back. "Hold on, Eve." I instructed before taking off for home as fast as I could."
Bursting into our hut I put Eve down as I yelled for my moms. "Sam, calm down." Mom's voice came from the kitchen and I turned to her.
"Where's Mama?" I gasped. "We have possible trouble in the woods."
"She just headed out to the practice field. Sam, what's wrong? The gods…."
I shook my head, "Lion tracks I think. I need her to confirm it for me before you decide to let the entire village know." Making sure I had my staff I ran from our hut to the practice field.
Reaching the field I stopped and scanned it. Seeing Mama's tall form I ran towards her, "Mama!"
Stopping what she was doing, my mother came towards me at a fast clip. "Sam, what's wrong?"
"Tracks," I huffed trying to catch my breath. "I was helping Eve track and I think I saw some lion tracks."
"Damn." Turning, Mama waved to Eponin to join us. Mama filled the weapons master in on what I'd told her and Eponin sighed.
"I'll cancel practice for the rest of today and send everybody home. Let us know as soon as you find out something."
Mama nodded and we once more headed out, this time with me leading the way to where Eve and I had seen the tracks.
"Well?"
"You were right, Sam." Mama looked up at me from where she was looking at the tracks on one knee. "It seems we need to round up a few of our best trackers and follow these. We need to find the lion before it does any harm."
"You're going to kill it?"
Mama stood up and took my chin in her hands, "We have no choice, Sam. This animal could cause a lot of harm. The fact that it's come so close to the village tells me that it's hurt or unable to hunt game in its regular hunting grounds."
Pulling my chin from her hand I said nothing choosing instead to turn and run towards the village. My head was telling me that Mama was right, but my heart was telling me that she was going to kill something simply because she needed to protect her family. The fact that the lion didn't stand a chance was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but it didn't make me feel any better knowing that.
I leaned against the old oak with my arms crossed over my chest. Daria, Zivah, and Rory were standing with me but their reactions to the situation were totally different than mine. Daria was upset because Mama and Eponin had deemed her too young and inexperienced to go on the hunting expedition. Zivah had told me she hoped no one got hurt trying to kill the lion as she had had experience with large cats hurting or killing livestock and people before moving to the village. Rory felt more like I did; I suppose it was our 21st century upbringing, yet she still wasn't quite as upset as I seemed to be over hunting down the lion knowing that it was going to be killed.
Feeling a tug on my leggings, I looked down and had to stifle my laugh. Eve was standing there, looking up at me, her staff at the ready and the most serious look on her face that I had ever seen. "What are you doing, little bit?"
"Getting ready to go tracking," she replied. "I found the lion tracks, I'm gonna help Mama and Aunt Eponin."
Kneeling on the ground I ignored the snickers from my friends, "Eve, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but you won't be going on the hunting trip."
"Why not?" she demanded stamping her foot. "I found the tracks. They're my tracks. I have to go, Sam!"
Turning from me Eve ran towards Mama and proceeded to try and pull herself onto Argo using the stirrup. Finally figuring that wasn't going to work and noticing that Mama and the rest of the hunting party were still getting last minute instructions, Eve tapped Argo's left front knee and then gripped the mare's mane when she lowered her head to see what Eve wanted.
I shook my head and stood shrugging at my friends as my little sister proudly held onto to Argo's neck as she righted herself. "I'm ready to go, Mama!"
The noise around us suddenly stopped with that pronouncement and Mom moved from her spot near one of the younger scouts. "Eve you are not going on this trip any more than Argo is going."
"But I have to!" Eve protested. "Those are my tracks and Argo can help!"
"Those tracks do not belong to you, Eve." Mama's serious voice made Eve look up at her with a glare. "They belong to the lion and the lion is very dangerous. That is why you are going to stay here with your mom and sisters not go on the trip with us."
"Why isn't Argo going?" Eve demanded.
"It's easier to track on foot and I don't want Argo hurt either. I just haven't had time to put her in the barn. Do you want to help do that?"
Shaking her head, Eve held on to the saddle horn tightly, "Nope."
"Eve, you are not going." Mama repeated.
Taking the opportunity of having Eve distracted by Mama, Mom pulled her off of Argo and put her back on the ground. "Go stand with Sam, Eve," Mom directed.
Hearing Daria chuckle I waited to see what would happen, "Damn!" Eve shouted. "Mean Mommies!" had no sooner left her mouth than Mom had delivered one warning swat to my sister's bottom.
Picking up her staff from where she had placed it on the ground Eve rubbed her bottom with her free hand and began mumbling under her breath in various languages that caused Mama to move rather quickly from Mom's side and back to the scouts.
Eve finally reached me and turned to watch the group one more time. "This sucks, Sam."
"Yup," I agreed.
"Sam?"
"Yeah, little bit?"
"Why is Mom yelling at Mama in a whisper?"
I looked to my moms and couldn't help the smirk, "You need to stop cussing in all those languages, little bit."
"Mama does it."
"Well, if you don't want Mom to roast your tail feathers, you won't do it anymore."
"This really sucks," Eve pouted before storming off towards the kindergarten with Nasa on her heels per my unspoken command.
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"Samina Ephiny Bardos!" Mom's voice rang out in our hut and I slowly sat up on my bed as my friends looked at me in confusion.
"What did you do, Sam?" Zivah finally asked.
"I have no idea. I'm in my room, Mom," I yelled wanting witnesses to whatever it was she was going to do to me.
Entering my bedroom Mom stopped and took everything in that she saw. Daria and I were sitting on the bed while Rory and Zivah used the beanbag chairs Auntie had given me to help decorate my room. There was one pizza slice left on top of my dresser that Mom chose to ignore as she scanned my room.
"Where are they?" she finally demanded.
"Who?" I asked slipping my music player and doc under my pillow.
"Eve, Mavis, and Addy."
"I have no idea," I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Zivah. "Any clue where your sister is?"
"No more than you do."
"Great," Mom sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is the last thing we need with that lion roaming around the forest."
"She and her buddies go A.W.O.L. again?" I asked.
Mom nodded, "We have no clue where they are hiding this time."
"Did you call for Nasa?"
"Yes, but he's not showed himself either." Mom looked at us once more and then turned towards the door. "Get your room cleaned up stay here. I do not want any of you leaving this hut until you are told otherwise by me or one of your moms. Understood?"
I saluted and grinned, "Yes, ma'am, my queen, ma'am."
"Smartass," Daria whispered.
"Language, Daria," Mom returned with a wink as she left my room and we returned to our hanging out activities, none of which involved cleaning my room just yet.
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"Eve, is this a good idea?" Addy asked as she and Mavis sat on the fallen tree log with their friend. All were carrying their staffs and had been following Eve's lion tracks for a long while in their minds.
"Sure it is," Eve replied with confidence. "These are my lion tracks so we hafta track it. It's like a rule or something."
"Oh," Mavis and Addy nodded in understanding.
"How do you know this stuff?" Mavis asked.
"My mommy is the queen," Eve rolled her eyes. "Besides, Sam taught me lots of stuff and I hear things around."
Finally standing up Eve motioned to her friends. "Come on, we need to get moving before Mama finds my lion."
"I'm tired, Eve," Addy whined.
"So am I but we have to go." Making sure she was holding her staff Eve waved at her friends again. "Come on, I know that lion is close."
"Okay, Eve," Mavis finally agreed standing up and grabbing her staff as well.
"Oh, all right," Addy finally stood up and grabbed her staff and walked towards her friends as they once again began to track the lion that Eve had claimed as her own.
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Eve and her friends had walked about fifteen minutes when they were suddenly stopped by the sight of a large lion in their path. "I told you that my lion was close!" Eve shouted.
"Eve Anastasia Bardos, do not move!" Xena's voice came from above and Eve looked up to see her mother drop from a tree near her. "How did you get here?"
"We tracked you," Eve announced proudly.
"We will talk later," Xena huffed as the lion began to growl and move towards them. Putting up her hand, Xena stopped the Amazons with her from showing themselves when she felt a familiar tingle.
"Aunt Hessie," Eve grinned and ran to give the goddess a hug. "Look guys, it's Aunt Hessie."
"Hello girls, aren't you going to come give me a hug too?" Hestia asked Eve's friends.
Breaking into smiles, the girls ran to the goddess, "Aunt Hessie did you come to see Eve's lion?" Mavis asked.
"I did," Hestia nodded seriously and looked at Xena over the little girls' heads. "I have this, Xena."
Turning to the lion Hestia held up her hand and it slowly moved to her. Smiling as it chuffed and rubbed against her Hestia allowed the little girls to pet it before touching the beast on the head, causing a white spot to appear, and waving her hand causing the animal to disappear.
"Aunt Hestia what did you do?" Xena asked making another motion with her hands that caused the area to be filled with Amazons.
"I explained to her that he wasn't to hunt around here anymore and if she ever saw Eve or one of her friends again then she was to protect them like she would one of her cubs. You don't need to fear her anymore. She won't be back this way until the time she is needed."
Xena nodded, "Thank you. Sam will be thrilled that we didn't need to kill the poor creature."
Hestia picked Eve up and kissed her on the cheek before placing the girl on the ground again, "This one too, I think."
"Oh yeah, this one and her co-horts," Xena began only to be interrupted by Eponin.
"Adelaide what are you doing here?" she demanded.
"Helping Eve track her lion, Mama," Addy smiled up at the weapons master. "Aunt Hessie told the lion to protect us and hunt someplace else. It was great."
"Great?" Eponin looked at her daughter and took a deep breath before counting to ten. Kneeling down she put her hands on Addy's shoulders, "You could have been hurt, Adelaide, even killed by that lion. What you did was very dangerous and we will have a very long talk about it with your mommy back in the village."
Hearing the tone from Eponin that meant she was in trouble Addy pushed out her lip, "But we hadda track the lion! Eve said it was her lion and it was a rule that we find it because they were her tracks!"
Hearing Xena groan Eponin hid her smirk and stood up taking her daughter's hand in hers. "Come on, Adelaide, you are coming with me."
"Damn."
"What did you say?" Eponin asked having heard the word enough from Eve to know that it wasn't one her daughter should be saying.
"Um," Addy shrugged her shoulders and looked at her friends helplessly.
"That's what I thought," Eponin muttered before picking Addy up and heading back to the village with long strides.
Twin sighs made the remaining Amazons stare at the two mini Amazons in their midst. One was twirling her staff while the other sat on the ground, her legs crossed waiting for somebody to take her home.
Shaking her head Xena motioned the rest of the women to leave, "I have this and I'll make sure Mavis makes it home. Her mother should be back from the outer watch soon."
Getting nods all around the women left on foot, and through the trees while Xena kneeled in front of the girls. "Girls, look at me please."
Eve stilled her staff while Mavis stood up. "Are we going home now, Xena? I'm tired of all this walking," Mavis whined.
"Yes, we are." Deciding that lectures could wait Xena stood and held out her hands being sure to have a firm grip on each girl as they walked back to the village.
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Hearing footsteps Xena slowed and smiled as her wife emerged from the trees. "I take it Eponin got back to the village with Addy?"
Gabrielle nodded smiling at Xena and her two human bags. Eve was tightly clutching Xena's neck as she rode on her back while Mavis was almost asleep on Xena's hip. Moving to Xena, Gabrielle gently pulled Eve from her back and placed the girl on her own hip.
"She's almost too tall for you to do that," Xena commented as Eve mumbled into her blonde mother's shoulder.
"I know," Gabrielle began to walk as Xena shortened her steps so she and her wife could walk together. "So, tell me about Hestia and the lion."
"You heard about Hestia?"
Gabrielle nodded, "Addy was rather proud that Aunt Hessie let them pet her lion."
Chuckling Xena shook her head, "These three are going to be quite the challenge as they get older."
Laughing outright Gabrielle stopped and looked at the warrior before continuing to walk. "In case you hadn't noticed, Xena, these three are challenging now."
Xena paused as the village came into sight, "Is Edison back yet?"
"She wasn't when I left but is probably back by now. I told Solari to keep her in the village and not let her come after us."
"Probably a good idea, I'm thinking their little adventure wore most of the trouble makers out. After naps we can talk with ours."
"Imaimashī," a small voice said sleepily.
"Xena, what did your daughter just mutter?" Gabrielle demanded having never heard this word from her wife or child before.
"Um…"
"Xena?" Gabrielle demanded.
Xena's reply was cut off by a shout and a look of relief washed over the warrior, "Edison," she greeted as the woman reached them.
Edison gently took her still sleeping daughter from Xena's arms, "What did they do this time?"
"Nobody told you?" Xena asked.
Edison shook her head, "Solari said that you would explain it when you got back."
Handing Eve to Xena Gabrielle raised an eyebrow, "Take her home and I'll explain to Edison. See you in a bit."
Bending, Xena gave Gabrielle a gentle kiss before turning towards their hut. "You had to say Imaimashī?"
"It's a good word for damn, Mama," Eve mumbled sleepily before drifting off once more.
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To all still reading, and adding this story to their favorite and follow list, thanks.
Hoping the next update doesn't take so long to get out.