Chapter 22
The four women sat silently in the tavern of the Inn. Ankh sat looking at the sword she had purchased. Callisto had carried it back to the Inn for her. Xena and Gabrielle could not help but share a small chuckle at the sight of Callisto carrying Ankh's sword when they had entered the Inn. Callisto caught their eyes and sneered when she saw them chuckling. Her demeanor was marginally affected with them, she was still coy, taunting and sometimes cruel. The difference was most noticeable when she engaged with Ankh. There was an intensity in the way each woman gazed upon the other. Ankh made Callisto smile, and the brilliance of the smile she elicited startled both Xena and Gabrielle. Ankh and Gabrielle told story after story, while Xena and Callisto were the amused audience. Callisto did not necessarily engage with Xena and Gabrielle, her eyes mostly for Ankh, but she was visibly relaxed. The late morning became afternoon fairly quickly.
"We should get some rest, whatever happens tonight will happen when the moon is at its peak." Xena finally said as she rose from the table, Gabrielle followed her lead and also rose.
Ankh nodded her agreement, while Callisto, her attention diverted from Ankh by Xena's voice turned to gaze up at her. The mocking sing song tone of her voice returned, "Always the leader. Always thinking. Such a clever mind. When I grow up, I want to be just like you"
Ankh frowned slightly then leaned over and whispered into Callisto's ear. Whatever she said prompted darkened brown eyes to light up and Callisto to grin gleefully at Xena.
"We'll be here at dusk. Don't do anything that I don't plan on doing." Callisto practically leapt from the table, grabbing Ankh's sword and heading towards the stairs.
"I am sorry, I know that it is not for me to apologize for her behavior, but I am sorry nonetheless." Ankh nodded in the direction of Callisto. "My plan is simple...Go in, stop Sharia and Aillia, break the geas. It should not be hard, I know how all of them strategize. We've all seen the temple, so a plan should not be difficult to implement. Most of their energy will be focused on me after all." Ankh gave a sad smile to Xena and Gabrielle before leaving to join Callisto at the stairs.
"Xena, how is Ankh going to break the geas exactly?" Gabrielle asked as they watched her go, hearing Callisto's delighted laughter as they headed up the stairs.
Xena glanced down at the lovely woman beside her, a shadow behind her smile.
"She has to kill Sharia."
"Sharia? Sharia is her blood bound lover. How can she kill that which she is bound too?" Gabrielle thought she understood the flicker of sadness in the warrior's ocean deep eyes.
"It may be a curse, as far as I can understand. Ankh seems to know. Widgie explained it better." Xena said as she turned to head towards the stairs as well.
"You saw Widgie? What did she say? Xena, why didn't you tell me about this?" Gabrielle followed the lithe form of her lover up the stairs. They heard a door slam shut just as they reached the head of the stairs.
"I'll tell you what I can remember." Xena replied as she opened the door to their room. Gabrielle opened her mouth to ask another question but could not seem to get it closed when she saw the room. She finally let out a delighted laugh.
"Ankh certainly knows how to make room arrangements doesn't she?" She said slipping in behind Xena. There was a platter of fruit, cheeses and bread, a large tub filled with steaming water, oil warming, towels, even two new shifts laying on the bed.
"Should we even ask how she came by the dinars to afford this? Or why we are bathing before a battle? This would be better if it were later." Xena grumbled half heartedly as she shut the door.
"Come on Xena, let's relax...We have the afternoon to ourselves. I can guess why she had the room arranged this way, seize the moment. And I think a nice hot bath would do us a world of good." Gabrielle smiled wickedly over at the warrior princess as she began to remove her clothes. Xena raised her eyebrow and she moved towards Gabrielle.
"Seize what?" She said slyly moving towards the bard.
Gabrielle gave her warrior an innocent look, which quickly disappeared as the taller woman removed her armor.
"Oh, this is going to be nice evening." Gabrielle said as they melted into each other for a long kiss, flesh against flesh. They broke apart, eyes shining, cheeks flushed. Holding onto each other's arms for support, they both stepped into the tub and slid down into the warm water.
They were each enveloped in the luxurious warmth. Gabrielle leaned her head back against the edge of the tub. She opened her eyes to the feel of Xena's lips against her neck. "Mmmm. Hello there." She murmured, as she felt the warrior's hands sliding down the length of her body.
"Hello yourself." Xena murmured into Gabrielle's neck as she felt the bard's hands mimic her own. -
Callisto was drinking from Ankh's lips. Even before they'd made it up the stairs, Callisto pressed Ankh against the wall, kissing her with barely restrained need. They barely slipped into the room before Xena and Gabrielle came up the stairs.
"Callisto." Ankh moaned into the kiss, pressing her back against the door. There was a feral sensuality about Callisto that drew Ankh in.
When she moved, it was with the grace of a large cat. There was power in that grace. Predatory power, as if a primal force purred away in her chest. The allure of that lithe movement - the feeling of something savage beneath that beauty. It was both breathtaking and unnerving. Ankh's new sword fell to the floor as they pressed into one another, lips and tongues dancing, while hands that started with slow caresses became more urgent.
"Mmm. No. Wait." Ankh pulled away, trying to control the passion coursing through her body.
"What is it?" Callisto asked, moving forward and feathering light kisses down the line of Ankh's neck to her shoulder.
"Mmm. I have plans...I want to spoil you." Ankh murmured, even as she leaned her head back to allow those lips more access.
"Oh, I have plans too...I need to repay you for that little comment about worshipping." Callisto replied into the soft flesh, capturing a small fold lightly in her teeth, sucking with soft pressure.
"No. I mean it. I don't know what the dawn will bring, and I want you to know..." Ankh stopped, trying to gather her thoughts back from the haze of desire that was rapidly descending upon her. She pulled reluctantly away from Callisto and with her fingertips tilted Callisto's chin so that her gaze met her own. Ankh fell into the fire that burned in those deep brown eyes. "I want you to know how much I love you." She finally whispered.
Callisto was losing herself in those fathomless mercury eyes that gazed at her so intently. The words Ankh spoke scared her. She had not thought it possible that she could love again. She had been convinced that her heart had burned away the night her mother and sister died. She had accepted the cold rage that consumed her, compelled her, controlled her. And when she had realized how empty the sounds of Xena's anguish were, she became even more convinced that her heart was dead. Yet, here was this woman who ignited something besides rage in her, found the still warm remains of her heart, wakened and made her feel things in her deepest soul. A soul that she had thought she had bartered long ago. The price for her obsession. Callisto could not explain what it was. Not her total surrender to Callisto or even the implicit trust she gave. Callisto had killed others who had fawned over her, surrendered to her, trusted her. Though admittedly, Callisto herself had surrendered to no one before Ankh. Something else in this dark haired starry-eyed woman had found it's way past the emptiness, the disappointment, the fury and hate. Found it's way and then settled in the tiniest remaining shred of her soul. Her own words to Xena came back to haunt her, "That heart of yours is a bit of a problem. I no longer seem to have one." She did and Ankh had found it.
Ankh saw the confusion and almost panic in her lover's dark eyes. She wrapped her fingers around Callisto's and pulled Callisto into the room. She had arranged to have their room set up as she had for Xena and Gabrielle. A steaming tub, oil, fruit, bread, cheeses, and thick towels.
She pulled Callisto to the tub and began to undo the warrior's armor slowly. Placing gentle kisses on the warrior's shoulders, her neck, along her spine. Callisto shivered both from the kisses and the gentleness of Ankh's touch. She turned to reach and draw Ankh to her, Ankh took her hands and kissed each palm lightly. She looked at Callisto and shook her head. Once she had completely disrobed the blonde warrior she slipped out of her own clothes. Ankh's gaze traveled over Callisto's slender form, she was beautiful. She blushed slightly when she looked up to see Callisto's eyes moving over her own body with the same appreciation glittering in them.
Ankh slowly drew Callisto closer. Her skin tingling as they flowed into each other, thigh sliding between thigh, abdomen against abdomen, breast against breast. She reached up and drew the back of her fingers down the blonde woman's cheek, then gently traced the outline of her lips with her fingertips. She leaned forward and replaced her fingers with tentative lips. They kissed softly, slowly, barely breathing.
Ankh drew back again, feeling her pulse begin to accelerate. She had to be patient, she had to show the woman beneath the goddess before her with her actions that the love she had for her was not just desire, not just the sweet release. To convey to her that she loved her, body, mind, heart and soul.
Callisto felt the power of the emotion in the gentleness of Ankh's attentions. Even though the nearness of her lover, the feel of their flesh together, her soft touches and light kisses were making every nerve sing. As fierce as Ankh had been the evening before, she was now tentative, almost shy. Callisto moaned softly as she felt Ankh move away again and lead her into the steaming water.
Ankh shifted and settled behind Callisto, moving the dampened blond hair to the side so she could kiss the back of her neck, across her shoulders. She leaned back and pulled Callisto back with her, so that her lover's head rested just below her chin. Her hands floated lazily over her collarbone, chest, down her stomach.
Callisto tilted her head to look up at Ankh. Trembling at the light tracings of Ankh's fingers.
"Will you let me love you shadow warrior of mine?" Ankh murmured softly, leaning forward, her dark hair falling forward as she kissed Callisto, nibbling on the prone woman's lower lip.
Callisto's reply was in the arching of her back so she could taste more of Ankh's lips.