Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter five of "Lift the Veil." This chapter has some Borias/Xena. I felt it was important for Gabrielle to get to know Borias and Xena through talking with them. It will help her as the fic progresses to their escape from slavery. Stay tuned for chapter six.

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Chapter 5: Still Talking/Sleepless

Borias, Xena, and Gabrielle still sat at the table an hour later. Gabrielle propped her head up with her elbow as she listened to Borias tell her about the time he ended up in a water-filled trough while being chased by a cow. He curled his hands into fists. He moved his arms back and forth in a rapid motion. She tried to hold back a laugh, but she could not help himself.

"I ran faster as that cow chased me down the street. I looked over my shoulder at it. I crashed into the trough and fell headfirst into it. I looked up. The cow had come to a stop. It snorted in satisfaction and walked away. I was helped out by Johnathan. He glared at people who started laughing," Borias said.

"It's good Johnathan helped you out of that trough," Gabrielle said and emitted a soft snort.

"I was embarrassed, but he told me not to worry about it. He revealed he was chased by cows across his fields and fell into his trough several times. They had gotten loose from nearby farms," Borias pointed out.

"Falling into a trough is one way to cool yourself off on a very hot day," Xena said with a giggle.

"I prefer to go swimming in that lake at the edge of the forest," Borias responded, crossing his arms. "It is a really big lake, Gabrielle. Would you like to see it tomorrow?"

Gabrielle smiled as Johnathan came to her side. "I would love see that lake." She turned to him. "Would that be okay?"

"Sure. I can take you there before you begin your work," Johnathan replied while nodding at her.

"Thank you," Gabrielle replied. "Do you swim in it often?"

"Sometimes. I do a lot of fishing there. I have caught some pretty big ones. The biggest one I caught was two feet long," Johnathan explained pridefully.

"Wow," Gabrielle whispered in awe.

Xena gestured toward her. "Gabrielle told us fishing was never her thing, but she went looking for frogs with her sister."

"Oh, really?" Johnathan asked, looking down at Gabrielle.

"It's true," Gabrielle admitted. "We would try to catch the biggest and slimiest frogs. We would get pretty dirty doing that too. Our parents weren't too thrilled each time that happened."

"I went looking for frogs a lot too," Johnathan commented while placing his hands on his sides. "I would get so dirty that my parents would have to give me a very long bath to get me clean."

"It's nice to have something in common with a master," Gabrielle said and ran her tongue all over the inside of her mouth.

Borias nodded in agreement. "It sure is."

Xena picked up her water and took a long sip. She folded her arms before laying them on the table. She crossed her ankle over her right one. She tapped the toe of her black boot on the floor. Gabrielle pulled her hair behind her neck while keeping her eye on Johnathan.

"Borias told me an incident regarding a cow in Sparta. Did one ever chase you down the street?" Gabrielle asked, snickering under her breath. "I am sorry for snickering. It just sounds so funny."

"A cow never chased me down the street in Sparta," Johnathan responded honestly. "The biggest cow that chased me across my fields happened to be a bull. His horns were huge. They looked like they could knock down a tree."

"One thing I learned about cows is they can be affectionate one minute and raging mad the next," Borias pointed out.

"That is true," Johnathan agreed and cleared his throat. "We have bears in this area, Gabrielle. You will need to be careful, especially when it comes to mother bears. They will defend their cubs with their lives."

"I am aware. My father nearly became the victim of a bear attack when he accidentally stumbled across a mother bear nursing her cubs," Gabrielle commented.

"The most important rule regarding bears is you never climb trees in hopes of getting away from them. They will come after you," Borias added and cringed quite a bit.

"Playing dead can deter bears from attacking, but it does not always work as they will feed on carcasses," Johnathan said and stretched his arms above his head. He let out a small yawn while placing them at his sides. "They feed on berries, grass, bushes, and leaves. They will eat anything, even rotten food."

"People can't eat rotten food. It would make us very sick," Xena said, shuddering in disgust. "Bears must possess something inside their bodies that lets them eat that."

"Imagine finding a berry bush. You are excited about getting some berries. All of a sudden, a bear arrives and begins feeding on it. You are forced to wait. After it is gone, you find there are no more berries," Gabrielle explained as she held up her hands.

"It's quite irritating, but it is best to let animals eat first. They do not like being interrupted while eating. That can result in attacks if they are," Johnathan whispered seriously.

"An animal attacks for several reasons. They are to defend itself, to get rid of a threat, to protect its young, or out of desperation with hunger," Xena said as she waved her hands in circles in midair.

"If an animal looks about ready to attack, you back away slowly. You never turn to run because it will come after you. That is if it can run very fast," Johnathan murmured.

Gabrielle reached down and straightened the blue skirt of her outfit. She yawned widely and rubbed her eyes. She tried to suppress another one, but she could not help herself.

"I don't know about you, but I am ready for bed," Gabrielle whispered honestly while touching the back of her neck.

"I am too," Borias said and cleared his throat.

"So am I," Xena said and suppressed a yawn. She smacked her lips and emitted a soft snort. She stood up along with her boyfriend. "It was nice talking with you, Gabrielle."

"It was nice talking with you too," Gabrielle said while rising to her feet. "Good night."

Johnathan, Gabrielle, Borias, and Xena went to the front door. Borias opened it and stepped aside, allowing his girlfriend to step out. He followed her close behind. They watched the couple head into the forest. They kept their eye on them until they couldn't see them. They looked at each other.

"You must really value Borias and Xena," Gabrielle said, warmth echoing from her voice.

"Oh, I do," Johnathan admitted with a soft chuckle. "If it weren't for them, some of my workers wouldn't get along. They've been instrumental in keeping the peace amongst them."

Gabrielle giggled. "That's nice."

Johnathan nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is. Come on."

Johnathan closed the door and locked it. A bullfrog hopped past it and emitted a soft croak. It headed into the field.

00000

Steady early morning rain fell on the forest. A barn owl flew just below the canopy. It spotted Borias and Xena's cabin. It headed downward and landed on the roof. The cabin was small and contained two bedrooms. A porch could be seen in the front. Two wooden chairs sat next to the front door. A deer head hung near it.

Xena stood at the window to her and Borias's room. She listened to the rain splattering against the roof of the cabin. The room happened to be small. It contained a double bed. A mirror was near the closet. A dresser was across from the bed. The floor contained a bearskin rug. Deer antlers hung on a display board above the dresser.

Xena couldn't help but smile. She remembered all the times she and her brothers stood by the window of their mother's tavern and watched the rain or snow fall. This was often during times they could not sleep. They thought both types of precipitation were beautiful, especially the latter. She had a feeling they still did this. She snapped out of her thoughts when two hands touched her arms. She looked over her shoulder at Borias.

"Can't sleep?" he asked softly.

"Not at the moment," she admitted and looked out the window. "The rain is so beautiful, isn't it?"

"It sure is. Belach, Natassa, and I enjoyed watching the rain and snow fall. We didn't do that if the wind was blowing hard and risked filling our cabin with either," Borias responded.

"The tavern's windows were made of wood. That kept debris from getting blown inside," Xena pointed out with a soft chuckle. "Of course, a huge tree branch could break it apart."

"Many places get a lot of rain while others get little of it," Borias whispered in much awe. "It is so fascinating."

"Deserts are notorious for getting little rain. However, it does really pour when it comes. It even makes flowers bloom in huge numbers," Xena said and snorted.

"I have never been in a desert," Borias admitted.

"I haven't either," Xena added and blew in a soft way. "I would love to see one someday."

"I would too," Borias agreed.

He kissed her temple and wrapped his arms around her. She brought her hand up to his arm. She gave it a gentle squeeze. She blinked three times before sighing in content.

"I love it when you hold me like this," Xena whispered, looking him in the eye.

"It is my favorite way to hold you," Borias responded in a loving manner.

She gave him a teasing smile. "I remember all the times you hoisted me over your shoulder and threw me on the bed. It resulted in tickling in regards to most of them."

"How can I resist tickling you when I love to hear you laugh?" Borias asked while bringing his hand to her side and tickling it. He smiled when he heard her laugh. "See?"

"Oh, stop," Xena retorted playfully as she pushed his hand away. "You need to keep your hands to yourself."

He held it up. "Okay."

Borias put his arm back around his girlfriend. He began to rock her from side to side. He hummed a sweet tune before hugging her a little tightly. She suppressed a yawn.

"It was nice getting to know Gabrielle this evening," Borias said, warmth showing in his voice.

"I really like her. She seems rather smart," Xena pointed out with a soft smile.

"Her intelligence comes from all the stories she told throughout her time as a slave. You have to find a way to entertain people somehow," Borias answered and exhaled in a sharp way.

"The fact she gave Lila a rag doll for rescuing her from a snow drift shows how grateful she was to be alive," Xena commented.

"I can only imagine how scared both girls were when they were in that snow drift. They were probably only a short distance from their home," Borias suggested.

"I remember when it started snowing while we were on our way back to our place after going hunting with Johnathan's permission. The wind started picking up as it got heavier. We barely made here as it became a full-blown blizzard," Xena explained, shivering. "Thankfully, it lasted just a few hours. We did not get a ton of snow."

"We kept warm by keeping a fire going in the fireplace with all the wood we chopped days earlier. Johnathan came to check on us once the blizzard was over. He was relieved to see our cabin was still standing and that we were fine," Borias added.

"Weather is so unpredictable. It can be sunny one day and pouring down rain the next," Xena said, her voice showing much amazement. "Sometimes, winters are very warm while summers are very cool."

"On rare occasions, we get ice storms. Sleet and freezing rain come down in sheets. Freezing rain turns any area it touches to ice. It makes trees look beautiful, but the branches fall down when too much ice forms on them," Borias said, cringing quite a bit.

"A whole tree can come down and smash a house to bits because of ice," Xena said, chuckling nervously.

"That is why you never stand in the direction a tree is falling," Borias commented seriously. "It will flatten you."

Xena cringed a bit. She recalled when she watched her father chop a young tree down with the family axe. He got out of the way as it was falling toward him. He went to her side and listened to it crash to the ground along with her. She asked many questions about things that could be made from wood. Nelo was impressed with her curiosity. He allowed her to make a wood carving from a large branch.

"I can't help but wonder if it is raining in Amphipolis," she whispered in much curiosity.

"Who knows?" he asked with a shrug. "One thing is clear. This is the season for horrible thunderstorms."

"I was told to never stand under a tree in a lightning storm. It is true. Lightning can strike trees and send parts of them crashing to the ground," Xena commented.

"When I went hunting in the forest behind my old home after a bad storm, I saw a tree split in half down the middle. I knew lightning had struck it. Nothing else could have done that," Borias explained.

"Yeah," Xena said and yawned widely. "I don't know about you, but I am ready for bed now."

"I am too," Borias said. "Come on."

Borias and Xena went over to their sides of the bed. They climbed in and pulled the covers up. He laid on his back while she snuggled up to him. She laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. They closed their eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.