For a moment, Gabrielle couldn't breathe. Joxer's arms went tight around her to keep them from toppling over. The breath had been knocked from her, yes, but her mind was suddenly screaming Whoa! and she was too surprised to wonder why. His sudden laugh ruffled her hair and caused a strange little flip in her stomach. "I thought I was the only one around here who did that." When she didn't respond in kind or move away, he gripped her arms and eased her away from his body. His brow wrinkled in confusion, "So, uh, does this mean we're on?"
Gabrielle didn't speak because she had a sinking feeling the connection in her brain that controlled her thoughts and feelings and speaking ability had simply gone berserk. Whoa is right... oh gods, what is going on? What am I thinking here...what am I feeling here? Too much. Way too much. She took a deep cleansing breath, which made Joxer suppose she was angry, so he carefully removed his hands from her arms. All right, Gabrielle, just think about everything later. Now, what did he say? "On?"
Joxer looked at her like she'd lost her mind, "Yeah, On. You know, for the training?" He looked over at Xena, who was half-smiling in amusement but also lifting a sardonic eyebrow. Okay, good, he wasn't the only one who found Gabrielle's behavior odd.
Gabrielle immediately snapped to attention, clearing her throat. "Oh... yes. Yes! Of course! Not a problem. We'll train. Well, you'll train. I mean, I'll train you, sure. No problem."
Joxer's eyebrows went up at her rambling, "Ohhh-Kaaay." He held out his arm again for her to grasp and seal the deal, "Thanks."
Gabrielle quickly grasped his arm and quickly released it, nodding and turning away sharply. She didn't look at Xena, but kept her eyes on the baby. One look at Xena and she knew the warrior would see right through to everything she was feeling. She just wasn't ready for that yet. She had to figure that out for herself first.
Joxer clapped his hands loudly and rubbed them together in anticipation. "So! How far to Lemnos?"
Xena smiled at his eagerness, "Not far, about ten miles east. We should get there by mid-afternoon." Her eyes quickly darted around the clearing, then narrowed slightly. "Say Joxer," her voice was extremely casual, "would you put Eve in her pouch for me, please?" She handed him the baby without waiting for an answer and expertly slipped the waterskin from Gabrielle's fidgeting hands. "I'll fill that." She grinned as Gabrielle pursed her lips in irritation, "I need to wash up anyway. Bring Argo around, would you?"
"Yeah, sure," Gabrielle rolled her eyes and followed Joxer back to the camp clearing. Followed a good five paces behind. Xena sighed and headed quickly to a small stream nearby. She filled the waterskin, splashed some water over her head and chest and sweaty limbs, and waited. She knew he was there. He'd show up if he knew what was good for him.
She felt a shimmering in the air and a corner of her mouth curled up. "Mind explaining that little prank?"
"That was not a prank," Cupid stood with arms folded. "That was a strategic move on my part. A rather necessary one, actually."
Xena folded her own arms, "Tripping Gabrielle like that was necessary? Oh, this I gotta hear."
Cupid sighed heavily and threw up his hands, "I had to do something! There's some weird vibes going on around here and it's majorly upsetting Mom." He shook his head and began to pace. "I've never seen her like that... she was desperate for Joxer to feel something for Gabrielle." He ran his hands through his golden hair and rubbed his neck, then turned Xena, "I mean, have you ever known her to be desperate? Come on!"
If Xena was concerned about this emotional display, she didn't show it. "So tripping Gabrielle was your solution?"
Cupid folded his arms again rather stubbornly, "It worked... well, sort of. I was hoping he'd get a little hot having her in his arms like that, but he didn't." He impatiently blew a lock of hair from his forehead, "Still, he found the whole thing funny, which is a positive emotion, so it did help."
Xena just shook her head and rubbed at her temples. "Look, Cupid, I've got a plan in the works here that'll give them plenty of one-on-one time together." She quickly explained how Gabrielle would train Joxer in staff fighting. "So, they don't need to "accidentally" slam into each other, all right?"
Cupid smiled a bit, "Are you going to tell her?"
Xena shook her head and sighed, "No, not yet. She has to have time to realize her feelings on her own. It's the only way she'll know they're true and not some trick of the gods." She gave Cupid a pointed look.
Cupid nodded, "Good point. Well, I hope it works. They don't have much time, you know. Oops, gotta go!" In a flash he vanished.
The trees behind her rustled and Xena whipped around. Gabrielle lead Argo through the brush and Joxer followed behind with Eve snug in her pouch. Mounting Argo and shrugging Eve's pouch over her shoulders, she urged the horse east to Lemnos.
Gabrielle was unusually quiet, but Xena and Joxer didn't really notice as they were busy chatting between themselves. Any other time, it might have bothered her to be left out of a conversation, but now she was glad to have a few moments to herself.
Her mind replayed the moment she tripped and slammed into Joxer. She'd been surprised, of course, not only that she'd tripped, but that they hadn't ended up sprawled on the ground. No, he had remained steady and she had remained pressed against him unable to move. Well, she'd had the breath knocked out of her and--- No, no, Gabrielle scowled and shook her head at herself, be honest! You couldn't breathe because it felt good to have him hold you so tight. That's what it was and you know it.
Gabrielle tried shaking her head again to deny it, but couldn't. It had felt good. His arms around her had been strong... how had they gotten so strong? He was so damn clumsy all the time, she just assumed he was weak, too, but that lanky body actually had muscles! Gabrielle looked over at Joxer to try and see them under all that bulky armor, but he'd moved to walk on Argo's other side and she couldn't see much of him around the horse and it's rider. She saw his hand as he raised it to point at something.
His hands. Funny... she could still feel them on her, like warm cuffs against her skin. She rubbed her arms where he'd touched them and wondered if she was going crazy. She looked over at Joxer again. He had seemed altogether unaffected by the incident. No, Gabrielle shook her head, unaffected by her. No stammering, no blushing, no fumbling... he'd just laughed and brushed it off.
That pricked mightily at her pride and she was quickly disgusted with herself again. Good grief, Gabrielle, all his puppy dog fawning usually irritates the hell out of you and now you're complaining when he controls himself?
She was saved from that train of thought when Xena pulled to a halt and shrugged the pouch off, handing the baby down to Joxer while she dismounted. Gabrielle checked the position of the sun and calculated they'd been traveling for over an hour. By the sound of Eve's whimperings, she was hungry, they would be resting for a bit while Xena fed her. While Xena sat and positioned Eve, Gabrielle sat next to her and stretched out her legs. Joxer took off his helmet and took a quick drink from the waterskin.
"Anyone hungry?" He said as he fished another apple out of the saddlebags.
Xena laughed and declined, "I'm still enjoying your porridge," she smiled down at her daughter and rubbed her back in little circles, "and now Eve's enjoying it, too."
Joxer chuckled and looked questioningly at Gabrielle. Gabrielle smiled and shook her head, "I'm still full." Joxer nodded and pulled a small dagger out of his boot. Dividing his apple, he offered half of it to Argo and patted her muzzle when she took it. Gabrielle cocked her head to the side and smiled, touched by the scene. He would share his snack with a horse. It was a nice thing to do and nice came so naturally to Joxer. The thought tugged at her heart, knowing how few truly nice guys there were around.
While his attention was elsewhere, Gabrielle took a good look at him. Yes, she could see the muscles of his arms. They weren't big and bulging like Hercules, of course, but they were tight and wiry and practically hidden under that ridiculous armor. He didn't sit down but crunched on his apple and strolled lazily around Argo, then leaned up against a tree and flipped his little dagger in one hand, then spotted something on the ground and plucked it up to examine it. The armor hampered his movements, but he managed to work around it.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes and recalled the time she'd asked Xena how she could move so easily in her armor since it didn't look all that comfortable. Xena had shrugged and said that's because she wore the armor, the armor didn't wear her. She chose the pieces with care, they protected the most vulnerable parts of her body and allowed her to move freely. Looking at Joxer's mismatched pile of scraps and kitchenware, she was amazed he could move at all.
"Joxer, how attached are you to that armor?" Gabrielle asked.
Joxer's head snapped up and his eyebrows flew up, "My armor?" He looked down at it and shrugged, "I don't know... I've had it for years. Why, something wrong with it?"
Xena and Gabrielle looked sideways at each other and they managed to hold in their laughter. Xena quickly looked away, but Gabrielle could see she was biting the inside of her cheek. Gabrielle rubbed a hand over her mouth to hide a smile. "Not wrong, exactly, since it's kept you alive." Though only the gods knew how, she mused silently. "It just doesn't let you move much and you need a full range of motion to learn the staff."
Joxer considered this for a long moment, "What if I got something lighter at the market when we get the staffs? Something I could wear when we weren't training?"
Gabrielle shook her head, "You'll need to keep your muscles free and flexible when we aren't training." She turned to Xena, who now had Eve over one shoulder and was steadily thumping her back. "Maybe a good leather jerkin?"
Xena nodded, "Yeah, that would do." She looked Joxer over. "Some new gauntlets, too. Pants are roomy and the boots are good, though."
Joxer folded his arms, his mouth twisting into a wry grin, "Glad you approve of something. I'm keeping my helmet." He raised a hand to stop the protests he knew were coming, "I won't wear it... not all the time, anyway, but I'm keeping it." Gabrielle raised an eyebrow and he shrugged, "It's actually a handy thing to have around."
The women laughed at that and Xena put a drowsy Eve back into her pouch. Shrugging it on again, she asked Joxer to take Argo's reins and walk on ahead. "I feel like stretching my legs a bit." He nodded, put his helmet back on with a determined pat and lead the horse away.
Xena walked alongside Gabrielle for a few moments until he was out of earshot, then nudged her with an elbow. "We need to talk."
"Talk?" Gabrielle's voice sounded surprised, but inside she was dreading this conversation. "About what?"
"About whatever it is that has you so quiet lately." Xena held up a hand to stop a quick protest. "I know you, Gabrielle. You're never this quiet unless you're ill, and even then you manage to complain about it." She nudged an arm gently against her friend's, "Talk to me."
Gabrielle sighed, knowing she couldn't keep anything from Xena. Of course Xena would notice, she noticed everything. It should surprise her, actually, that it had taken Xena so long to bring it up. Looking down at her fingers, she tried to think where to begin. "Um, well... it's just that... I mean, have you, uh, noticed anything different about Joxer?"
Xena managed to keep the smile out of her voice, "What do you mean, different?"
Gabrielle huffed out an impatient breath, "Come on, Xena! You know what I mean. He's different! This giving up his sword and armor business. That's just not like him. And I'm not the only one who's quiet," Gabrielle pointed out defensively. "He not talking either, well, not to me anyway. I don't know why that should bother me, but I mean he's always yapping away at me and now, I mean, he barely even looks at me, much less talks to me."
Now that she got going she couldn't seem to stop. "I can't be just because I hit him. I mean someone doesn't change that much from something like that, do they? Is he that angry with me? It just not like Joxer to be mad that long. He's never been mad that long! I've apologized for it and everything, but it's like he doesn't want to be around me."
Xena smiled at that, "He agreed to train with you, didn't he? He'll be around you plenty, won't he?"
Gabrielle brushed that comment aside with a wave of her hand, "Yeah, he was just jumping at the chance, wasn't he? That's another thing! Since when does he not jump at the chance to be around me?" Gabrielle sighed and ran her hand through her short hair. Her eyes unfocused a bit, like looking inward. "He once told me he loved me... did you know that? I didn't really think anything of it then. I knew he had a kind of crush on me, but love?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he did, I don't know, but now it's like doesn't even like me! That's really not like him. Something's wrong, Xena."
Xena gave a soft snort of derision, "Sounds like somebody's missing their puppy dog."
Gabrielle stopped in her tracks and glared at Xena. She started to protest, but no sound came out. Xena raised an eyebrow and gave her a knowing look. Gabrielle's shoulders suddenly sagged and she winced, "All right, all right, I know." They continued walking. "I know I've taken him for granted, but...but, Xena, it's more than that. I've never ignored him. I may pick at him a bit, but even when he drives me up the wall, I don't ignore him."
Xena nodded, "So, you feel like Joxer's ignoring you?"
Gabrielle watched Joxer as he lead Argo up ahead of them, chomping on yet another apple. She shook her head, her heart heavy, " I don't know what I'm feeling."
"Maybe you're feeling too much?"
Gabrielle bit her lip and nodded, "Maybe." Her voice then was no more than a whisper, "We've always been friends, Xena. I could always count on that with him, even if he wanted more." She looked down at her hands again, "I'm afraid I've lost that. "
Xena's heart twisted. Gabrielle sounded so sad, she put an arm around her shoulder. "He's still your friend, Gabrielle. Look, now that you know he's not your puppy dog, you can start being a little more friendly to him. He's sure to come around."
Gabrielle blushed a bit at the thought of being "more friendly", but didn't look very convinced. Xena gave her an extra squeeze and Gabrielle nodded, walking on ahead. Xena noticed, however, that her step was lighter.
They arrived in Lemnos around mid-afternoon and left Argo to graze while they walked into town. The marketplace wasn't too crowded, but business was brisk and the atmosphere was friendly. Xena headed straight for the weapons stall, while Gabrielle lagged behind, her eyes devouring the various wares displayed on the booths they passed.
Several swords and daggers were spread out over the table, gleaming brightly. Xena ran a finger over the exquisitely designed hilts and tested a few for their weight and balance while Gabrielle and Joxer checked out the staffs. There weren't many, but Gabrielle managed to find two suitable ones carved from solid oak.
Joxer's staff was made of a darker polished wood. A two-foot length of leather with a shorter length of green wool layered over it was laced tightly around the middle. A ring of birds was carved into each end, their wings spread and touching tip to tip. The design made him smile. Birds in flight...soaring, free... a perfect symbol for the new direction his life was taking.
Gabrielle twirled her new staff lightly, getting the feel of it. Made of a lighter shade of oak, it was smooth and polished to a shine. It had the same length of leather around the middle, but the cloth layered over it was a muted shade of red. An intricate band of swirls were carved into each end, making her think of wisps of smoke and twirling ribbons. Fanciful, yet strong and sensual at the same time. Gabrielle ran her fingers over the swirls and smiled... whoever carved them had known a few Amazons.
Xena found a pair of simple gauntlets of studded leather that fit Joxer from wrist to mid-forearm. After slipping them on and tightening the straps, Joxer moved his arms around and declared them quite comfortable. Trading his sword and scabbard, along with a couple of dinars, for the staffs and gauntlets, they roamed the stalls for the new outfit he would also need.
Gabrielle's sharp eye spotted just the thing and tugged Joxer into a clothing booth. Xena slid one arm out of Eve's pouch and pulled it around so she could smile at her daughter while waiting for them. Several minutes later, Gabrielle tugged Joxer back out again. He wore a loose-fitting white shirt with his gauntlets tied over the sleeves. Over the shirt was a tanned leather jerkin, a sleeveless garment that fit like a tunic, but with a V-ed neck and fastened down the middle with five leather ties. It fell to just below his hips and split at the side seams from his waist for easy movement.
Xena motioned for him to turn around and smiled down at Eve, who was gurgling around her fists, "So, what do you think of Uncle Joxer?"
Eve suddenly shrieked happily and began flailing her little arms around, her tiny feet kicking inside the pouch. Xena chuckled, "Kiddo, you're absolutely right!"
Gabrielle chuckled, "I quite agree. She has excellent taste." By the gods, he did look good. The lines of the jerkin made him look taller. He really cut a fine figure, now that it wasn't hidden under all that bulky armor. Long and lean and - her eyes trailed down the length of his arms to the hand gripping his new staff - nice and strong...
Joxer's neck went red at the compliments, but he grinned and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Xena caught Gabrielle's eyes and watched in secret delight as her own neck turned a very telling shade of red, too.
Gabrielle cleared her throat, "Hey Xena, I found something in here you're just gonna love."
Xena groaned, "Oh no, forget it! I'm not trying on anything--"
"No, no, it's not for you," Gabrielle laughed. "I've long since given up on that. It's for Eve."
Xena's eyes lighted up with interest and she followed her through the wall of hanging clothes. While they oohed and ahhed over a selection of infantwear, Joxer made a quick escape to buy an armful of meat pies, a chunk of cheese, a few loaves of bread and such for their lunch. He had everything wrapped and stuffed into a sack when the women found him and showed off Eve's new bunting outfit. It was made of soft homespun dyed a bright green with little white flowers stitched around the neck and hem. A matching cap flopped adorably over her little head.
"For someone who doesn't like to shop, Mommy took her sweet time choosing that little number," Gabrielle smiled and nudged Xena, who nudged right back and gave her a superior look.
"It takes time to find something as adorable as my daughter, but this comes close." Xena led the way back out of town, cooing sweetly at Eve and fiddling with the tiny sleeves. Gabrielle looked over at Joxer, biting her lip to stifle a laugh. A hand covered his mouth, but laughter sparkled from his eyes as they met hers in shared amusement.
They shared the meal outside of town, preferring a private spot under a shady tree in the cool air to a crowded town square or a noisy tavern. Hunger abated, Joxer was itching to try out his new staff. Smiling at his eagerness, Gabrielle showed him a few basic moves. First the starting defensive pose, staff held loosely in a diagonal across the body. Then, using a tree trunk as a substitute attacker, she struck it where the attacker's head, chest, stomach and knees would be. She moved the staff slowly, falling back into the defensive pose after each strike and nodding as he copied her movements, at first hesitant, but quickly making firmer, more confident strikes.
"Good!" Gabrielle smiled and nodded at his staff. "You move well with it."
Joxer stared at the weapon in his hands with a kind of awe. "Thanks." He ran a thumb over the carved birds on one end, his voice tinged with wonder, "It felt good."
Gabrielle felt a pull at her heart, knowing that feeling all too well. She'd been terribly clumsy when the Amazon Eponin had first tried to teach her. She made many mistakes and gave herself plenty of bruises, but her confidence had soared every time she did a move correctly. All he needed was encouragement - she could already see he had the potential to master the weapon.
"Tomorrow we'll go through a routine of moves that you'll do everyday to keep your reflexes sharp and your mind focused," Gabrielle explained. "After a while, the staff will become like an extension of your body and the moves will be second nature."
Joxer looked disappointed that the lesson would end so soon, but Gabrielle wasn't finished. "Along with reflexes and focus you need flexibility. The new clothes will give you a full range of motion, but you need to be able to use it. After your routine every morning, while your blood is pumping, you'll be doing a series of stretches to limber up those muscles, okay?"
Joxer nodded, "Okay. Can you show them to me now? My blood is pumping pretty good."
She nodded, he did indeed look energized. Breathing a little heavier from the exertion...eyes bright with anticipation... yeah, she could imagine how his blood was pumping... her own was doing some serious pounding through her veins. With an effort, she pulled her mind out of the cesspit and demonstrated some stretches, using her staff to help her as she limbered her arm and leg and back muscles.
Joxer carefully copied her movements and was pleasantly surprised at how good the movements felt. Gabrielle watched him and found her mind slipping right back into that cesspit. She had to attribute his clumsiness in the past to that ridiculous armor he wore and that sword he tried to swing around, because he certainly wasn't clumsy now. There was an almost lazy quality in the way he moved. He practically flowed from one position to the next, just as she did.
Watching him, she was reminded of his identical brother Jace and his dance troupe in Melodia. Though different in many ways, - Gabrielle grinned, many ways - they shared a similar grace of movement. Of course, Jace was flamboyantly sexual in the way he moved and presented himself, but Joxer...
Gabrielle smiled, leaning her cheek against her staff. No, Joxer had a naturally sensual way of moving, but it didn't scream at you. It whispered. She may not have heard it before, but she sure heard it now. Somehow, it was sexier because he had no idea how he moved and the images it brought to mind... at least to her mind. Damn, I bet he's a great dancer. The images that thought conjured up made her skin tingle.
"Gabrielle?"
"Hmmm?" She was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice that he'd stopped stretching. He'd stopped because she'd stopped. Holy Hera! How long had she been staring at him?
"Are we done?" His voice was puzzled, but pleasant as he leaned against his staff, watching her.
Gabrielle started to stammer, but Xena saved her by cheerfully mentioning that they'd made a good start and praising Joxer's first efforts. She then suggested that they all should head further down the road to find a good place to set up camp for the evening, since they'd spent the extra dinars they may have used for rooms at the market that day. Joxer agreed and caught the sack of food Xena had packed up and tossed to him. Gabrielle eyed her warily, cheeks flushed, but Xena just winked and took hold of Argo's reins.
Gabrielle didn't speak because she had a sinking feeling the connection in her brain that controlled her thoughts and feelings and speaking ability had simply gone berserk. Whoa is right... oh gods, what is going on? What am I thinking here...what am I feeling here? Too much. Way too much. She took a deep cleansing breath, which made Joxer suppose she was angry, so he carefully removed his hands from her arms. All right, Gabrielle, just think about everything later. Now, what did he say? "On?"
Joxer looked at her like she'd lost her mind, "Yeah, On. You know, for the training?" He looked over at Xena, who was half-smiling in amusement but also lifting a sardonic eyebrow. Okay, good, he wasn't the only one who found Gabrielle's behavior odd.
Gabrielle immediately snapped to attention, clearing her throat. "Oh... yes. Yes! Of course! Not a problem. We'll train. Well, you'll train. I mean, I'll train you, sure. No problem."
Joxer's eyebrows went up at her rambling, "Ohhh-Kaaay." He held out his arm again for her to grasp and seal the deal, "Thanks."
Gabrielle quickly grasped his arm and quickly released it, nodding and turning away sharply. She didn't look at Xena, but kept her eyes on the baby. One look at Xena and she knew the warrior would see right through to everything she was feeling. She just wasn't ready for that yet. She had to figure that out for herself first.
Joxer clapped his hands loudly and rubbed them together in anticipation. "So! How far to Lemnos?"
Xena smiled at his eagerness, "Not far, about ten miles east. We should get there by mid-afternoon." Her eyes quickly darted around the clearing, then narrowed slightly. "Say Joxer," her voice was extremely casual, "would you put Eve in her pouch for me, please?" She handed him the baby without waiting for an answer and expertly slipped the waterskin from Gabrielle's fidgeting hands. "I'll fill that." She grinned as Gabrielle pursed her lips in irritation, "I need to wash up anyway. Bring Argo around, would you?"
"Yeah, sure," Gabrielle rolled her eyes and followed Joxer back to the camp clearing. Followed a good five paces behind. Xena sighed and headed quickly to a small stream nearby. She filled the waterskin, splashed some water over her head and chest and sweaty limbs, and waited. She knew he was there. He'd show up if he knew what was good for him.
She felt a shimmering in the air and a corner of her mouth curled up. "Mind explaining that little prank?"
"That was not a prank," Cupid stood with arms folded. "That was a strategic move on my part. A rather necessary one, actually."
Xena folded her own arms, "Tripping Gabrielle like that was necessary? Oh, this I gotta hear."
Cupid sighed heavily and threw up his hands, "I had to do something! There's some weird vibes going on around here and it's majorly upsetting Mom." He shook his head and began to pace. "I've never seen her like that... she was desperate for Joxer to feel something for Gabrielle." He ran his hands through his golden hair and rubbed his neck, then turned Xena, "I mean, have you ever known her to be desperate? Come on!"
If Xena was concerned about this emotional display, she didn't show it. "So tripping Gabrielle was your solution?"
Cupid folded his arms again rather stubbornly, "It worked... well, sort of. I was hoping he'd get a little hot having her in his arms like that, but he didn't." He impatiently blew a lock of hair from his forehead, "Still, he found the whole thing funny, which is a positive emotion, so it did help."
Xena just shook her head and rubbed at her temples. "Look, Cupid, I've got a plan in the works here that'll give them plenty of one-on-one time together." She quickly explained how Gabrielle would train Joxer in staff fighting. "So, they don't need to "accidentally" slam into each other, all right?"
Cupid smiled a bit, "Are you going to tell her?"
Xena shook her head and sighed, "No, not yet. She has to have time to realize her feelings on her own. It's the only way she'll know they're true and not some trick of the gods." She gave Cupid a pointed look.
Cupid nodded, "Good point. Well, I hope it works. They don't have much time, you know. Oops, gotta go!" In a flash he vanished.
The trees behind her rustled and Xena whipped around. Gabrielle lead Argo through the brush and Joxer followed behind with Eve snug in her pouch. Mounting Argo and shrugging Eve's pouch over her shoulders, she urged the horse east to Lemnos.
Gabrielle was unusually quiet, but Xena and Joxer didn't really notice as they were busy chatting between themselves. Any other time, it might have bothered her to be left out of a conversation, but now she was glad to have a few moments to herself.
Her mind replayed the moment she tripped and slammed into Joxer. She'd been surprised, of course, not only that she'd tripped, but that they hadn't ended up sprawled on the ground. No, he had remained steady and she had remained pressed against him unable to move. Well, she'd had the breath knocked out of her and--- No, no, Gabrielle scowled and shook her head at herself, be honest! You couldn't breathe because it felt good to have him hold you so tight. That's what it was and you know it.
Gabrielle tried shaking her head again to deny it, but couldn't. It had felt good. His arms around her had been strong... how had they gotten so strong? He was so damn clumsy all the time, she just assumed he was weak, too, but that lanky body actually had muscles! Gabrielle looked over at Joxer to try and see them under all that bulky armor, but he'd moved to walk on Argo's other side and she couldn't see much of him around the horse and it's rider. She saw his hand as he raised it to point at something.
His hands. Funny... she could still feel them on her, like warm cuffs against her skin. She rubbed her arms where he'd touched them and wondered if she was going crazy. She looked over at Joxer again. He had seemed altogether unaffected by the incident. No, Gabrielle shook her head, unaffected by her. No stammering, no blushing, no fumbling... he'd just laughed and brushed it off.
That pricked mightily at her pride and she was quickly disgusted with herself again. Good grief, Gabrielle, all his puppy dog fawning usually irritates the hell out of you and now you're complaining when he controls himself?
She was saved from that train of thought when Xena pulled to a halt and shrugged the pouch off, handing the baby down to Joxer while she dismounted. Gabrielle checked the position of the sun and calculated they'd been traveling for over an hour. By the sound of Eve's whimperings, she was hungry, they would be resting for a bit while Xena fed her. While Xena sat and positioned Eve, Gabrielle sat next to her and stretched out her legs. Joxer took off his helmet and took a quick drink from the waterskin.
"Anyone hungry?" He said as he fished another apple out of the saddlebags.
Xena laughed and declined, "I'm still enjoying your porridge," she smiled down at her daughter and rubbed her back in little circles, "and now Eve's enjoying it, too."
Joxer chuckled and looked questioningly at Gabrielle. Gabrielle smiled and shook her head, "I'm still full." Joxer nodded and pulled a small dagger out of his boot. Dividing his apple, he offered half of it to Argo and patted her muzzle when she took it. Gabrielle cocked her head to the side and smiled, touched by the scene. He would share his snack with a horse. It was a nice thing to do and nice came so naturally to Joxer. The thought tugged at her heart, knowing how few truly nice guys there were around.
While his attention was elsewhere, Gabrielle took a good look at him. Yes, she could see the muscles of his arms. They weren't big and bulging like Hercules, of course, but they were tight and wiry and practically hidden under that ridiculous armor. He didn't sit down but crunched on his apple and strolled lazily around Argo, then leaned up against a tree and flipped his little dagger in one hand, then spotted something on the ground and plucked it up to examine it. The armor hampered his movements, but he managed to work around it.
Gabrielle rolled her eyes and recalled the time she'd asked Xena how she could move so easily in her armor since it didn't look all that comfortable. Xena had shrugged and said that's because she wore the armor, the armor didn't wear her. She chose the pieces with care, they protected the most vulnerable parts of her body and allowed her to move freely. Looking at Joxer's mismatched pile of scraps and kitchenware, she was amazed he could move at all.
"Joxer, how attached are you to that armor?" Gabrielle asked.
Joxer's head snapped up and his eyebrows flew up, "My armor?" He looked down at it and shrugged, "I don't know... I've had it for years. Why, something wrong with it?"
Xena and Gabrielle looked sideways at each other and they managed to hold in their laughter. Xena quickly looked away, but Gabrielle could see she was biting the inside of her cheek. Gabrielle rubbed a hand over her mouth to hide a smile. "Not wrong, exactly, since it's kept you alive." Though only the gods knew how, she mused silently. "It just doesn't let you move much and you need a full range of motion to learn the staff."
Joxer considered this for a long moment, "What if I got something lighter at the market when we get the staffs? Something I could wear when we weren't training?"
Gabrielle shook her head, "You'll need to keep your muscles free and flexible when we aren't training." She turned to Xena, who now had Eve over one shoulder and was steadily thumping her back. "Maybe a good leather jerkin?"
Xena nodded, "Yeah, that would do." She looked Joxer over. "Some new gauntlets, too. Pants are roomy and the boots are good, though."
Joxer folded his arms, his mouth twisting into a wry grin, "Glad you approve of something. I'm keeping my helmet." He raised a hand to stop the protests he knew were coming, "I won't wear it... not all the time, anyway, but I'm keeping it." Gabrielle raised an eyebrow and he shrugged, "It's actually a handy thing to have around."
The women laughed at that and Xena put a drowsy Eve back into her pouch. Shrugging it on again, she asked Joxer to take Argo's reins and walk on ahead. "I feel like stretching my legs a bit." He nodded, put his helmet back on with a determined pat and lead the horse away.
Xena walked alongside Gabrielle for a few moments until he was out of earshot, then nudged her with an elbow. "We need to talk."
"Talk?" Gabrielle's voice sounded surprised, but inside she was dreading this conversation. "About what?"
"About whatever it is that has you so quiet lately." Xena held up a hand to stop a quick protest. "I know you, Gabrielle. You're never this quiet unless you're ill, and even then you manage to complain about it." She nudged an arm gently against her friend's, "Talk to me."
Gabrielle sighed, knowing she couldn't keep anything from Xena. Of course Xena would notice, she noticed everything. It should surprise her, actually, that it had taken Xena so long to bring it up. Looking down at her fingers, she tried to think where to begin. "Um, well... it's just that... I mean, have you, uh, noticed anything different about Joxer?"
Xena managed to keep the smile out of her voice, "What do you mean, different?"
Gabrielle huffed out an impatient breath, "Come on, Xena! You know what I mean. He's different! This giving up his sword and armor business. That's just not like him. And I'm not the only one who's quiet," Gabrielle pointed out defensively. "He not talking either, well, not to me anyway. I don't know why that should bother me, but I mean he's always yapping away at me and now, I mean, he barely even looks at me, much less talks to me."
Now that she got going she couldn't seem to stop. "I can't be just because I hit him. I mean someone doesn't change that much from something like that, do they? Is he that angry with me? It just not like Joxer to be mad that long. He's never been mad that long! I've apologized for it and everything, but it's like he doesn't want to be around me."
Xena smiled at that, "He agreed to train with you, didn't he? He'll be around you plenty, won't he?"
Gabrielle brushed that comment aside with a wave of her hand, "Yeah, he was just jumping at the chance, wasn't he? That's another thing! Since when does he not jump at the chance to be around me?" Gabrielle sighed and ran her hand through her short hair. Her eyes unfocused a bit, like looking inward. "He once told me he loved me... did you know that? I didn't really think anything of it then. I knew he had a kind of crush on me, but love?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he did, I don't know, but now it's like doesn't even like me! That's really not like him. Something's wrong, Xena."
Xena gave a soft snort of derision, "Sounds like somebody's missing their puppy dog."
Gabrielle stopped in her tracks and glared at Xena. She started to protest, but no sound came out. Xena raised an eyebrow and gave her a knowing look. Gabrielle's shoulders suddenly sagged and she winced, "All right, all right, I know." They continued walking. "I know I've taken him for granted, but...but, Xena, it's more than that. I've never ignored him. I may pick at him a bit, but even when he drives me up the wall, I don't ignore him."
Xena nodded, "So, you feel like Joxer's ignoring you?"
Gabrielle watched Joxer as he lead Argo up ahead of them, chomping on yet another apple. She shook her head, her heart heavy, " I don't know what I'm feeling."
"Maybe you're feeling too much?"
Gabrielle bit her lip and nodded, "Maybe." Her voice then was no more than a whisper, "We've always been friends, Xena. I could always count on that with him, even if he wanted more." She looked down at her hands again, "I'm afraid I've lost that. "
Xena's heart twisted. Gabrielle sounded so sad, she put an arm around her shoulder. "He's still your friend, Gabrielle. Look, now that you know he's not your puppy dog, you can start being a little more friendly to him. He's sure to come around."
Gabrielle blushed a bit at the thought of being "more friendly", but didn't look very convinced. Xena gave her an extra squeeze and Gabrielle nodded, walking on ahead. Xena noticed, however, that her step was lighter.
They arrived in Lemnos around mid-afternoon and left Argo to graze while they walked into town. The marketplace wasn't too crowded, but business was brisk and the atmosphere was friendly. Xena headed straight for the weapons stall, while Gabrielle lagged behind, her eyes devouring the various wares displayed on the booths they passed.
Several swords and daggers were spread out over the table, gleaming brightly. Xena ran a finger over the exquisitely designed hilts and tested a few for their weight and balance while Gabrielle and Joxer checked out the staffs. There weren't many, but Gabrielle managed to find two suitable ones carved from solid oak.
Joxer's staff was made of a darker polished wood. A two-foot length of leather with a shorter length of green wool layered over it was laced tightly around the middle. A ring of birds was carved into each end, their wings spread and touching tip to tip. The design made him smile. Birds in flight...soaring, free... a perfect symbol for the new direction his life was taking.
Gabrielle twirled her new staff lightly, getting the feel of it. Made of a lighter shade of oak, it was smooth and polished to a shine. It had the same length of leather around the middle, but the cloth layered over it was a muted shade of red. An intricate band of swirls were carved into each end, making her think of wisps of smoke and twirling ribbons. Fanciful, yet strong and sensual at the same time. Gabrielle ran her fingers over the swirls and smiled... whoever carved them had known a few Amazons.
Xena found a pair of simple gauntlets of studded leather that fit Joxer from wrist to mid-forearm. After slipping them on and tightening the straps, Joxer moved his arms around and declared them quite comfortable. Trading his sword and scabbard, along with a couple of dinars, for the staffs and gauntlets, they roamed the stalls for the new outfit he would also need.
Gabrielle's sharp eye spotted just the thing and tugged Joxer into a clothing booth. Xena slid one arm out of Eve's pouch and pulled it around so she could smile at her daughter while waiting for them. Several minutes later, Gabrielle tugged Joxer back out again. He wore a loose-fitting white shirt with his gauntlets tied over the sleeves. Over the shirt was a tanned leather jerkin, a sleeveless garment that fit like a tunic, but with a V-ed neck and fastened down the middle with five leather ties. It fell to just below his hips and split at the side seams from his waist for easy movement.
Xena motioned for him to turn around and smiled down at Eve, who was gurgling around her fists, "So, what do you think of Uncle Joxer?"
Eve suddenly shrieked happily and began flailing her little arms around, her tiny feet kicking inside the pouch. Xena chuckled, "Kiddo, you're absolutely right!"
Gabrielle chuckled, "I quite agree. She has excellent taste." By the gods, he did look good. The lines of the jerkin made him look taller. He really cut a fine figure, now that it wasn't hidden under all that bulky armor. Long and lean and - her eyes trailed down the length of his arms to the hand gripping his new staff - nice and strong...
Joxer's neck went red at the compliments, but he grinned and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Xena caught Gabrielle's eyes and watched in secret delight as her own neck turned a very telling shade of red, too.
Gabrielle cleared her throat, "Hey Xena, I found something in here you're just gonna love."
Xena groaned, "Oh no, forget it! I'm not trying on anything--"
"No, no, it's not for you," Gabrielle laughed. "I've long since given up on that. It's for Eve."
Xena's eyes lighted up with interest and she followed her through the wall of hanging clothes. While they oohed and ahhed over a selection of infantwear, Joxer made a quick escape to buy an armful of meat pies, a chunk of cheese, a few loaves of bread and such for their lunch. He had everything wrapped and stuffed into a sack when the women found him and showed off Eve's new bunting outfit. It was made of soft homespun dyed a bright green with little white flowers stitched around the neck and hem. A matching cap flopped adorably over her little head.
"For someone who doesn't like to shop, Mommy took her sweet time choosing that little number," Gabrielle smiled and nudged Xena, who nudged right back and gave her a superior look.
"It takes time to find something as adorable as my daughter, but this comes close." Xena led the way back out of town, cooing sweetly at Eve and fiddling with the tiny sleeves. Gabrielle looked over at Joxer, biting her lip to stifle a laugh. A hand covered his mouth, but laughter sparkled from his eyes as they met hers in shared amusement.
They shared the meal outside of town, preferring a private spot under a shady tree in the cool air to a crowded town square or a noisy tavern. Hunger abated, Joxer was itching to try out his new staff. Smiling at his eagerness, Gabrielle showed him a few basic moves. First the starting defensive pose, staff held loosely in a diagonal across the body. Then, using a tree trunk as a substitute attacker, she struck it where the attacker's head, chest, stomach and knees would be. She moved the staff slowly, falling back into the defensive pose after each strike and nodding as he copied her movements, at first hesitant, but quickly making firmer, more confident strikes.
"Good!" Gabrielle smiled and nodded at his staff. "You move well with it."
Joxer stared at the weapon in his hands with a kind of awe. "Thanks." He ran a thumb over the carved birds on one end, his voice tinged with wonder, "It felt good."
Gabrielle felt a pull at her heart, knowing that feeling all too well. She'd been terribly clumsy when the Amazon Eponin had first tried to teach her. She made many mistakes and gave herself plenty of bruises, but her confidence had soared every time she did a move correctly. All he needed was encouragement - she could already see he had the potential to master the weapon.
"Tomorrow we'll go through a routine of moves that you'll do everyday to keep your reflexes sharp and your mind focused," Gabrielle explained. "After a while, the staff will become like an extension of your body and the moves will be second nature."
Joxer looked disappointed that the lesson would end so soon, but Gabrielle wasn't finished. "Along with reflexes and focus you need flexibility. The new clothes will give you a full range of motion, but you need to be able to use it. After your routine every morning, while your blood is pumping, you'll be doing a series of stretches to limber up those muscles, okay?"
Joxer nodded, "Okay. Can you show them to me now? My blood is pumping pretty good."
She nodded, he did indeed look energized. Breathing a little heavier from the exertion...eyes bright with anticipation... yeah, she could imagine how his blood was pumping... her own was doing some serious pounding through her veins. With an effort, she pulled her mind out of the cesspit and demonstrated some stretches, using her staff to help her as she limbered her arm and leg and back muscles.
Joxer carefully copied her movements and was pleasantly surprised at how good the movements felt. Gabrielle watched him and found her mind slipping right back into that cesspit. She had to attribute his clumsiness in the past to that ridiculous armor he wore and that sword he tried to swing around, because he certainly wasn't clumsy now. There was an almost lazy quality in the way he moved. He practically flowed from one position to the next, just as she did.
Watching him, she was reminded of his identical brother Jace and his dance troupe in Melodia. Though different in many ways, - Gabrielle grinned, many ways - they shared a similar grace of movement. Of course, Jace was flamboyantly sexual in the way he moved and presented himself, but Joxer...
Gabrielle smiled, leaning her cheek against her staff. No, Joxer had a naturally sensual way of moving, but it didn't scream at you. It whispered. She may not have heard it before, but she sure heard it now. Somehow, it was sexier because he had no idea how he moved and the images it brought to mind... at least to her mind. Damn, I bet he's a great dancer. The images that thought conjured up made her skin tingle.
"Gabrielle?"
"Hmmm?" She was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice that he'd stopped stretching. He'd stopped because she'd stopped. Holy Hera! How long had she been staring at him?
"Are we done?" His voice was puzzled, but pleasant as he leaned against his staff, watching her.
Gabrielle started to stammer, but Xena saved her by cheerfully mentioning that they'd made a good start and praising Joxer's first efforts. She then suggested that they all should head further down the road to find a good place to set up camp for the evening, since they'd spent the extra dinars they may have used for rooms at the market that day. Joxer agreed and caught the sack of food Xena had packed up and tossed to him. Gabrielle eyed her warily, cheeks flushed, but Xena just winked and took hold of Argo's reins.