Chapter Five

"You know, Xena, this was pretty good day."

"How so?"

"Well, we didn't have to fight off any robbers. No warlords are making trouble, at least, none that we've heard about, anyway. The weather's nice. And we're making good time to the Amazon camp. Yep, this was a very, very good day."

"You're not trying to jinx us are you? You know what happens whenever you start talking about how good things are going."

"By the gods, you're right! Me and my big mouth!"

"Well, it's almost dark. Maybe the day will end peacefully."

But just as she got the words out of her mouth, Xena stiffened, her eyes and ears searching and listening. She slowly moved her hand, resting it on the handle of her sword.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked quietly. By now she knew Xena's subtle moves.

"Not sure."

"Did you hear something?"

"No. Can't see anything, either. But every once in a while, when the wind shifts, I smell something – different."

"Different how? Like an evil spirit?"

Xena shook her head.

"Something sweet, but nothing I've ever smelled before."

Together they sat quietly, listening to the muted sounds of the night, looking past the darkening trees around them, and sniffing the cooling night air.

"Peculiar effect or two, my ass!" Buffy said disgusted. "We should have listened to Anya. We should have known not to trust a lower demon, especially someone like D'Hoffryn."

Buffy looked around, trying to get some kind of bearing.

"Well, at least I'm in the woods. I suppose it could have been worse. I could have appeared in the middle of a village. Or the desert. Or a volcano."

Buffy slowly turned in a circle, trying to decide which direction to go. There was no clear cut path, but the trees were far enough apart, with very little underbrush, so she could go in almost any direction.

She close her eyes, concentrating, letting her Slayer senses do the choosing for her. She listened to every sound. Felt for any vibration through the ground. And took long, slow breaths through her nose, sniffing the air.

Then the wind shift brought the faint smell of smoke. Buffy turned in the direction it came.

"Where there's smoke, there may be a campfire. And just maybe it's Xena's."

Buffy cautiously made her way toward the smoke, listening intently for voices, and using all of her Slayer abilities to remain undetected.

She saw the campfire before she could hear their voices, but there were definitely two women sitting near it, one blond and one with dark hair.

Buffy slowed her advance when the dark-haired one's manner changed – she stiffened, and her voice lowered with apprehension.

Buffy stopped behind a tree a several yards from them. She could now hear their conversation.

"Did you hear something?" The blond woman, who was facing her, asked.

"No. Can't see anything, either. But every once in a while, when the wind shifts, I smell something – different."

"Different how? Like an evil spirit?"

The one with dark hair, whose back was to Buffy, shook her head.

"Something sweet, but nothing I've ever smelled before."

'My shampoo,' Buffy thought to herself. 'If her sense of smell is THAT good, she must be Xena.'

After several seconds, Buffy took a deep breath, and stepped out from behind the tree, and unwaveringly, walked toward the two women.

Xena immediately spun around and got to her feet in one smooth motion, her sword in hand, ready to strike.

Buffy threw up her hands.

"I'm not armed!" She shouted out. "No weapons! No – nothing!"

Despite the sword pointed in her direction, Buffy continued to walk toward Xena until she was within arm's reach of the weapon.

"Xena, the Warrior Princess, I presume?"

"You presume right."

Buffy looked past Xena at Gabrielle, who was now standing, a staff in her hands, ready to back Xena up, if necessary.

"And I presume you are Gabrielle?"

"That's right. Who are you? And where are your clothes?"

"That's kind of a long story. You wouldn't happen to have something I could put on, would you? Or maybe something I could wrap around me, like a blanket or something?"

Xena hesitated, then slowly lowered her sword, but remained alert to the first sign of hostility.

"I might have something that would fit you," Gabrielle said.

"Anything would be great, really, anything at all."

Gabrielle took a knee-length skirt and a blouse from a leather pouch and tossed them to Buffy. She still was too unsure to get too close to her. Buffy quickly put on the clothes.

"I don't have any shoes, or boots," Gabrielle told her.

"This is fine. Thank you. Really. Thank you."

Buffy slowly walked to the fire, appreciating its warmth. The night was cooling down in a hurry.

"You never did say who you are," Xena said. "Or why you are in the middle of the forest with no clothes on."

"Were you robbed?" Gabrielle asked.

Buffy hesitated, but then decided the truth would be best.

"Well, first off, my name is Buffy. And I yes, my clothes were stolen from me, by a sorry, no good, piece of demon trash named D'Hoffryn."

T B C