They were near the edge of the trail when the axles to the wagons holding the spear throwers mysteriously broke, as did the thin restrain Zartok had on his temper. "That does it!" he yelled when they finally pushed the wagons over the side. He grabbed Ranis by the neck and shoved him against the rockface. "I want you to personally inspect the net thrower. If there's one thing out of place, one little chip in the wood, I want to know about it, understand?" he roughly shoved the lieutenant in the direction of the remaining weapon. "Damn Amazons." the warlord spit as he once again tried to adjust his uncomfortable britches.

"There's nothing wrong with this one, sir." Ranis said a few moments later. He inspected every wheel, every axle, every harness. "They must not have had enough time to do anything to it."

"They'd better not or it's your head." Zartok replied. "Now let's move out."

Clonie gave the silent hand signal that the army was almost there before slipping down from her lookout post and assuming her position near the back of the field behind the warriors. Gabrielle insisted on being up front with Ephiny while Eponin and Xena lounged in the shade of a large cypress tree, completely unconcerned about the approaching forces. "Think they found out about the netting yet?" the Amazon yawned. Xena opened one eye and looked at the weapon appearing over the edge of the trail.

"Nope." she replied, closing her eye.

"Should we bother to move?"

"Naw, we're fine right here." the tall warrior replied. Hiding in the branches above the two women, three archers looked at each other, puzzled at how they could be so relaxed with the large army approaching.

Standing to the right of his impressive looking net-thrower, Zartok looked at the mass of Amazons waiting for him. "Surrender now and we'll spare your lives." he said commandingly.

"I am Gabrielle, Queen of the Amazons." the bard said as she stepped forward, gripping her staff. "You have violated the boundaries of the Amazon Nation. Throw down your weapons and leave the way you came or we'll be forced to take action."

"You're the queen?" he sneered, looking at the petite woman whose face was covered by the large feathered mask. "This is going to be easier than I thought." he turned his head and nodded at Ranis before turning and giving an overconfident grin to the Amazon queen. The lieutenant smiled and used his sword to cut the rope holding the launching arm down. The instant the rope was severed, the arm flew up into the air and released the netting. Xena and Eponin watched with self-satisfied grins while Zartok watched in horror as hundreds of little pieces of rope fluttered helplessly to the ground. The blond warlord glared at his second in command. "Nothing wrong with this one, sir." he said sarcastically. "Nothing wrong but the damn netting being all cut up!" he roared, taking a haphazard swipe at Ranis with his sword. Several Amazon warriors lowered their swords and smiled at each other and at the two women responsible for foiling the warlord's plans. Zartok's pride was hurt far more than his common sense could compensate for. "Attack!" he yelled, raising his sword high in the air.

The problem with the men constantly trying to adjust their greasy britches was that their hands were now equally greasy, making it difficult, if not impossible, for them to maintain their grips on their swords. The Amazon warriors moved in and quickly knocked the weapons out of the hands of those who were foolish enough not to have thrown them down immediately. Zartok concentrated on the little Amazon that stood so boldly in front of him and thus did not see Ilanna slip up behind him. One blow from the hilt of her sword and the blond warlord slumped to the ground. The dark-skinned Amazon nodded at her queen and turned to join in the fray with the rest of the warriors.

"Think we should help?" Eponin asked without opening her eyes.

"We did our job already. They're fine." Xena replied, although instead of being closed, her eyes were focused on one figure within the battle. She needn't have worried. Ephiny and Ilanna made certain to be as close to Gabrielle as possible without getting in the way of her staff. Again, they needn't have bothered since the bard easily handled anyone who came within her reach. Within a candlemark the army was soundly defeated with half of them surrendering and the other half either unconscious, dead, or running back down the trail in a desperate attempt to outrun the sword-wielding women that were chasing them.

"Damn you, Xena." Ares cursed as he watched the ending unfold through his scrying bowl. He looked over at his still captive sister and smiled nicely. "Well…no harm done." he walked over to the wall and released the invisible barrier. "None of your har-I mean Amazons got hurt and look at it this way, they needed the practice."

"Father!" the Moon Goddess screamed. In the blink of an eye the imposing figure of Zeus appeared.

"Now it was just a joke…." Ares said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture.

"He trapped me and sent an army after my Amazons." Artemis said angrily. Zeus' dark eyes became stormy as he glared at his son.

"I thought I told you to leave Xena alone." he growled, his deep voice reverberating throughout the area.

"I did leave her alone. This had nothing to do with her. And I didn't cross over her boundary. I know better."

"No, you just set your army right next to it." she protested. Zeus held his hands out to quiet both of them down.

"Now you both listen to me." he turned to face his daughter. "Artemis, you know he's the God of War. War is what he does and he's necessary, even if I don't approve of everything he does. If he chooses to take the chance and send an army after your Amazons, well that's just the chance you have to take. He knows he can't interfere on your lands and as long as he doesn't, there's nothing I can do." he held his hand out, pointed at the panel that controlled the trap, and fired a lightning bolt, destroying it immediately. "As for you…" he glared at Ares. "You used a mortal's trick to capture your sister. That's WAY over the line!" it was one of the few times that Ares' eyes didn't show either contempt for the other gods or simple indifference. They showed fear, true genuine fear that he had finally gone too far just once too often. "Artemis…" Zeus said, his dark eyes never leaving his son. "Leave us." the Moon Goddess was out of there before the words finished echoing off the walls.

It was almost dusk when the Amazons returned to the village. It had taken most of the day to run the men completely off their land and to clean up the pig sty of a camp they had left behind. Only Zartok and Ranis were arrested and taken to the jail. Once there, Ranis told anyone who would listen that Ares sent them to attack the village. Zartok paced back and forth, careful not to get to close to the Amazons glaring at him from the adjoining cell while all the while yelling at Ranis' cell across the hall to shut up.

Ephiny announced that there would be an Amazon victory celebration at sunset the next day. Everyone needed time to rest after being up all night and then fighting all day, not to mention being up the previous night because of the hearing. Xena went to the stable and checked on Argo briefly before returning to the hut. She found the bard sound asleep on the bed, fully clothed. The warrior knelt down and gently removed Gabrielle's boots before climbing in next to her and covering them both with the blanket. "Good night sweet bard." she whispered as she placed a soft kiss on the young woman's cheek.

The next day was a lazy one for most of the village. Solari didn't return with the children until late in the afternoon, allowing many of the warriors to sleep in as much as they wanted or to spend some quiet time with their lovers. The almost non-existent breakfast crowd and small lunch crowd allowed Trasis plenty of time to help with the preparations for the celebration. Xena woke shortly after the sun was high in the sky. She considered waking Gabrielle but decided against it after thinking about how hard the bard had fought in the battle and how late the party itself would most likely run. Amazons weren't known to turn in early from their celebrations and frowned on their queen doing so. The warrior decided that Argo still deserved her ride that was interrupted the day before. She slipped out of bed and looked at the clothes that Solari had loaned her then at her own, still lying in a smelly pile on top of the saddlebag. Xena knew there was no way she was going to get out of at least making an appearance at the celebration but she'd be damned if she was going to show up in anything other than her own leathers. With a sigh she picked up her clothes and headed for the tanner to get the paste she needed to get them cleaned, a task she knew would take her a good three candlemarks or more to accomplish.

Ephiny didn't poke her head out of her hut until a few candlemarks before the party. She went to Eponin's hut to see if she wanted to get a bite to eat with her but the stocky warrior wasn't there. She looked at the training grounds, the stables, even the temple, but there was no sign of her friend. After wasting the better part of a candlemark looking for her, Ephiny gave up and went to the food hut alone.

"Hi Eph." Gabrielle said when she saw her friend enter. "Come join me."

"Where's Xena?" the blond Amazon asked as she took the seat opposite the young queen.

"She left me a note that said she was going to get her leathers cleaned and then go riding with Argo." the bard replied casually, although she had been upset to wake up alone. She was comforted by the memory of waking up in the middle of the night and feeling the warrior's arms wrapped securely around her, Xena's face buried in her hair. It was as if she was being blanketed with the warrior's love, even in sleep. Gabrielle smiled to herself.

"Dinar." Ephiny said with a grin.

"Hmm?"

"Dinar for your thoughts."

"Oh." she looked down at her plate, the smile never leaving her lips. "I was just thinking of Xena."

"Obviously. I don't think anything else would light up your face like that." the blond Amazon said. "Have you two…."

The bard blushed slightly and looked away. "No…not yet…well, not since…."

"Not since?" Ephiny raised an eyebrow slightly. "Gabrielle, you didn't do it in the jail, did you?"

"No, of course not." she studied her fingernails for a moment as she contemplated how best to answer the unasked question. "I was afraid to tell you before but…."

Xena slipped the strap up over her shoulder and smiled to herself. It felt good to be back in her leathers after being without them for so long. As she passed by one of the huts, the door opened. Eponin and Ilanna appeared, their lips firmly attached. Xena kept walking but her keen sense of hearing picked up their departing words.

"I'll see you later, Ep?"

"Absolutely." the stocky Amazon replied throatily. A few heartbeats later Xena heard Eponin's footsteps coming up behind her. "Xena, wait up."

The tall warrior turned in place and waited for the Amazon to catch up. "Very nice." Xena drawled, her blue eyes glancing back at the hut. Eponin blushed hotly.

"Yeah, she was." the stocky Amazon murmured, unable to hide her ear to ear grin. The raven haired woman laughed and wrapped her arm around the smaller warrior's shoulders.

"Glad to hear it, Ep. About time."

"Hey, can I help it if she finds me sexy? Besides, I can say the same thing for you." she grinned. "Gabrielle's quite the catch. You're very lucky."

"She's very special." Xena answered seriously, her eyes taking on a faraway look. "Even after I put her through…." she shook her head, not understanding how she could possibly deserve a beautiful creature like her Gabrielle.

"Come on, let's go over to the training grounds and spar a little bit."

"You've got to be kidding, Ep. They'll think I'm attacking you again." Xena said.

"Not when they see your butt on the ground instead of mine." she baited. "Come on, we didn't even break a sweat disabling that army and I'm sure you could use the practice."

"Is that a challenge?" the tall warrior dared. "You know I can knock you down without any problem." she grinned. "Why not, I could use the 'little' workout."

"We'll see just how 'little' the workout is, my friend." Eponin teased back. They took a few steps toward the training grounds when Xena stopped.

"Damn." she said, turning her hip to look at the back of her leg.

"What?" the Amazon asked, moving to see what she was looking at. "Oh, the stitches."

"I forgot about them. Give me your knife, will ya?" she held her hand out.

"I can get it for you, Xena." she said, pulling the weapon out of her boot. The tall warrior looked at her and arched an eyebrow.

"You, sharp objects, my leg? I don't think so." she reached out and took the offered knife from the chuckling woman. Within a few heartbeats the stitches were removed and the knife back in Eponin's hand. "All set, let's go." Xena said casually. The Amazon grinned and shook her head before following.

The drums started just as the sun disappeared from the sky. Gabrielle excused herself from Ephiny and returned to her hut to change for the festivities. She found Xena sitting at the table sharpening her chakram. "I see you got your leathers cleaned." the bard said as she stripped off her green top and pulled the light brown one over her head.

"Yeah, took a while, then Ep and I went over to the training grounds to practice." she said, setting the whetstone down. "Do you need help?" she said, noticing Gabrielle fumbling with the laces in the back.

"Actually, I do." the bard admitted, turning so Xena could reach the troublesome ties. Gabrielle inhaled sharply when she felt the strong fingers touch her bare skin.

"Are you sure you want to go?" the warrior whispered into her ear, causing the green eyes to close and a soft moan to escape her throat. Xena released the ties and wrapped her arms around Gabrielle's bare midriff, her long fingers stroking the smooth skin. "We could just stay here."

"Mmm..." the bard replied, leaning back against the strong woman. "I can't...and neither can you. We have to be there."

"You have to be there. I'm not an Amazon." the warrior said, releasing her embrace and resuming her task of tying the laces. "There, all done."

"Xena..." she turned around to face the taller woman. "You weren't planning on skipping the party, were you?" the warrior's blue eyes looked away. "You were...Xena, you're a big part of the reason we're having this party. If it wasn't for you and Eponin stumbling onto that camp, we never would have known about the army until it was too late."

"Gabrielle, you know I'm not much for celebrations and parties."

"Especially when they involve you, right?" she reached up and stroked the muscled jaw. "Look, I'll promise that you don't have to make any speeches, okay? Just be there with me."

"They won't even notice that I'm not there. Let Ep have the glory, I don't need it, or want it." she bent down for a kiss, hoping to distract the bard but Gabrielle pulled back.

"Xena, don't you understand? I want you there with me. Since this whole thing started there hasn't been one moment where the two of us could just relax and be here together. Tonight the whole village is celebrating." she leaned up on her toes and gave the warrior a gentle kiss. "I want to celebrate too. Not just the victory over Ares and Zartok, I want to celebrate us." she wrapped her arms around Xena's waist and laid her head against the leather covered chest. "I know I'm being selfish but I want to be there with you. I want to be at the celebration with the woman I love." she felt long fingers sink into her hair and tip her head up to look into blue eyes.

"It means that much to you?" Xena asked softly, receiving a small nod in reply. "Well then, I guess we'd better get ready, huh? Wouldn't look good if the queen was late, now would it?"

"I love you." Gabrielle said as she tightened her grip.

"And I love you, don't ever doubt or forget that. Now come on, let's get going before they run out of that Amazon wine I like so much."

Several bonfires lit up the village in the darkness of the summer night. A group of Amazon dancers jumped and swayed to the pounding rhythms of the drums. Several long tables were scattered throughout the festivities, piled high with food. Kegs of wine were at each end of the tables as well as near the bonfires. One of the more roguish warriors was busy trying to dazzle a starry-eyed young lady with her version of the battle, even going to far as to put her arms around the younger Amazon and demonstrating how she fired the arrow that turned the battle, making sure to hold her just a little tighter than necessary. Xena looked at the couple, or soon to be couple depending on how suave the warrior was, then at Gabrielle and found herself unable to suppress a smile. She had no doubt that tonight would finally be her chance to show the bard just how much she loved her. Xena grinned at the Amazon warrior and winked before putting her arm casually around Gabrielle's shoulders.

"What's this for?" the bard asked, turning her head up to smile at her warrior.

"What…you don't me to touch you in public?" Xena said in mock surprise. She began to take her arm back only to have her wrist gripped firmly by a happy queen.

"Don't you dare take it back." she pulled the warrior's arm back to its previous position. "I like it, I'm just surprised, that's all." the bard looked around and finally noticed the other couple, now leaning against a pole and kissing deeply. "Oh, I see." she said with a smirk. "Showing off, Xena?"

"And if I am? I don't guarantee that it'll last all night, but if I want to touch you, that's okay, right?" her tone held the barest hint of concern, a hint so small that only Gabrielle would have ever noticed it, so tuned was she to the warrior. She stopped their walking and leaned up to kiss Xena on the cheek.

"Of course it's okay, as long as that goes both ways." she felt Xena stiffen. "Hey, I'm not talking about hanging all over you, but perhaps I want to show off a little bit too." she grinned. "After all, it's not every day that the Amazon queen captures the heart of the most eligible warrior in the land."

"You caught that long ago, my dear bard." Xena said with a smile reserved for the queen of her heart.

"Hmm, probably around the same time you captured mine." Gabrielle found herself unable to resist and wrapped her arms around the warrior's neck, pulling her down for a kiss. It was supposed to be a gentle, loving kiss but lips soon parted and it turned passionate enough to make both women moan before they finally broke apart.

"We can't kiss like that all night." Gabrielle said through ragged breaths.

"No we can't." Xena agreed, shaking her head to regain her equilibrium, which seemed to have been stolen from the feeling of their tongues dancing in her mouth. "One more like that and we won't even make it back to the hut." she said, even though she knew that nothing would keep her from that goal. The only question was how long they had to remain at the celebration and be sociable before she could take her bard to their bed and show her all the things that she hadn't done as a warlord. As they walked toward the main group of women, Xena let her mind travel to thoughts of just what she wanted to do to, with, and for the young woman walking next to her. Her hand began to absently stroke the bare flesh of Gabrielle's upper arm, causing Ephiny and Solari to exchange an amused grin. Xena noticed and gave them both a glare that was meant to be menacing but ended up just looking cute since her fingers never stopped moving over the bard's skin. They joined the Amazons at the table and Gabrielle quickly found herself sampling the variety of foods that were spread out before them. Xena helped herself to a large mug of port and sat back to enjoy the primal music and the feeling of the bard's bare thigh pressed against hers. Ilanna joined them and the leather-clad warrior didn't miss seeing how close the Amazon guard sat to Eponin.

The drummers changed the music to a livelier beat and more women joined the dancers. Xena refilled her mug while Gabrielle chatted with Ephiny. Across the table, Eponin's hand disappeared under the table just before Ilanna jerked upright and shot the stocky woman a surprised look. Xena looked around and noted that they were the only five at the table. With the bard's attention elsewhere for the moment, the warrior decided to watch the game going on across the table. Ilanna's brown eyes fluttered shut and a few moments later the pair excused themselves for the evening. Xena watched them leave with a look akin to envy before looking next to her and realizing that Ephiny had just engaged Gabrielle in telling a story which the warrior knew would take the better part of a half-candlemark to finish. Xena turned her attention to the dancers, watching them lose themselves in the music, their movements more reaction than action. Gabrielle shifted, reminding her of the contact between their legs. Xena thought about how the bard would be reacting to her touch later. Blue eyes closed as a mental image of Gabrielle's naked body formed in her mind. She thought about the soft breasts, the curly hairs that covered hidden treasure, the way the bard's face looked at the height of passion….

"Are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" Xena said, opening her eyes and looking at Gabrielle with hungry eyes before the visions cleared and revealed the real woman sitting next to her. "Sorry, just thinking." she mumbled, burying her attention to the mug of port in front of her. Warm breath caressed her ear.

"I can just imagine what you were thinking of." the bard whispered before allowing her lips to press against Xena's earlobe, causing the warrior to almost choke on her port. Gabrielle placed her hand on top of the larger one resting on the table. Ephiny looked around the crowd of women milling about.

"Will you two excuse me? I need to talk to someone." before they could answer the blond Amazon was up and heading toward the crowd, determined to disappear for a while. It was bad enough to have to look like she was paying attention to Gabrielle when Eponin was fondling Ilanna under the table, but when the young queen nuzzled Xena's ear, it was more than Ephiny could bear. "It's been far too long." the Amazon mumbled to herself as she headed for the privacy of her hut. Certainly no one would miss her for a quarter-candlemark or so.

A steady stream of Amazons came to their table, both to chat with their far too absent queen and to exchange polite pleasantries with Xena. At first the warrior was surprised at the cordialness of the women who at one time were screaming for her blood but after almost two candlemarks of hearing the same words over and over, Xena was more than ready for a change. She was rewarded when the drums changed rhythm to a slow, earthy beat and many Amazons split off into couples to dance. "Excuse me ladies but I believe it's time for the queen to dance." the warrior said, rising to her feet. Gabrielle heard her and quickly stood up, almost knocking the bench over in the process. She rattled off some polite comments to the women she hadn't gotten a chance to speak to as she followed the leather-clad beauty out to the dancing area.

Xena took the bard's hand and led her to the outer edge of the dancing couples before turning and putting her arms around the smaller woman's neck while Gabrielle put her arms around the warrior's waist. The drums beat a slow beat, far slower than the beating of their hearts, which were increasing with each look, each caress of fingers against bare skin. "Have I ever told you how much I like your queen outfit?" Xena said as her thumbs moved back and forth in lazy arcs against the bard's back.

"Mmm, I don't think you have." she let her fingers glide through the long dark tresses. "Just the outfit or what's inside it as well?"

"Good question, perhaps you should take it off so I can compare?" Xena murmured, letting her thumbs slip up under the soft brown material of the half-top.

"Oh, I plan on it." she replied huskily. The drums changed rhythm slightly, beginning a new dance. It was soft and slow and incredibly hypnotic to the pair. With deliberate steps Xena guided them toward a darker area, still on the dirt and not the grass yet far away from the light of the bonfire. A casual observer would have missed seeing the two women gently swaying together in the shadows.

Wrapped in the warm cocoon of their love, Gabrielle and Xena continued to exchange soft words and gentle touches as they danced, completely oblivious to everyone else at the celebration. Ephiny had returned long ago and occasionally glanced over at the couple, the action never failing to bring a smile to her lips. The crowd thinned out more and more as the Amazons began to retire to their huts. As was usually the case with an Amazon celebration, several overindulgers found sleeping on the soft grass more enticing than trying to navigate their way home. Some had friends that took pity on them and helped them but others would still be on the ground come morning. Xena and Gabrielle barely noticed when almost all the dancing couples left and since the music they heard was coming from their hearts, they failed to realize when the drummers packed up and turned in for the night. It was only when Ephiny finally walked over and wished them a good night that they took returned from their own little world and realized that the celebration was over. With slightly sheepish grins they returned the comment and walked hand in hand to their hut, their pace a little quicker than normal.

Once Xena shut the door to their hut, the outside world disappeared. Gabrielle lit some candles, causing a gentle orange glow to settle throughout the room. She turned to face Xena and found herself immediately in the warrior's embrace. "Gabrielle…" she said huskily, her desire turned up a notch by the halo of orange that surrounded the bard. When she felt the small hands move to her face, the queen's thumbs stroking her cheeks, Xena lost track of whatever she was going to say and simply moaned. Gabrielle smiled gently at the affect her touch had on the warrior's senses.

"I love you." the bard murmured, using her hands to guide Xena's mouth to hers. The warrior's hands moved to bury themselves in the golden hair as lips parted and tongues touched. Gabrielle allowed the firm, questing muscle to explore her mouth fully while her hands slipped down to push the leather straps off the warrior's broad shoulders. Their bodies moved as one to the bed, their lips never losing contact. Only then did Xena pull back, partly to get control of her ragged breathing and partly to remove the clothing that served as a barrier between her and the bard's soft flesh. But when the warrior reached around the smaller woman's back to loosen the laces of Gabrielle's top, the normally strong and sure hands began to tremble slightly and she pulled back, her face showing her uncertainess. "Hey…" the bard said softly, her hands moving to cover Xena's. She squeezed the larger hands reassuringly and searched the warrior's face for any sign of hesitation. What she saw surprised her. Gabrielle saw the deep love but she also saw a nervousness in the warrior's features that caused the bard's heart to skip a beat. She smiled softly and brought one of Xena's hands to her lips. "I…love…you…with all…my…heart." she said, kissing each digit between words. Gabrielle turned the warrior's hand over and gently kissed the callused palm. Xena moaned softly and let her fingertips stroke the bard's cheek.

"I know…I love you too, it's just…" her thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of her index finger being pulled into Gabrielle's mouth, the bard's tongue flicking over the tip in a rhythm that rivaled the pounding deep in her lower body. "I…I want…"

"Want what?" the bard said softly as she released Xena's finger and gently squeezed her hand.

"I want to do this right…not like…" she lowered her eyes at the memory of seducing the younger woman.

"Before?" Gabrielle finished for her. "Xena, this isn't like that at all. That was…" she looked for the right word. "…it was…well, it wasn't this. This is love, Xena. It's the love you have for me and the love I have for you." she released the warrior's hands and moved until their bodies were so close together that air couldn't have passed through. "This is about expressing that love." she leaned up for a kiss. "What happened before doesn't matter. It's here and now that counts." Gabrielle took a step back and brought Xena's hands up to her leather covered breasts. The feeling of the warrior kneading her soft flesh through the rough material caused the green eyes to close and a soft moan to escape her parted lips. Slowly, too slowly for either of them, Xena moved her hands around back to finish undoing the laces. Gabrielle lifted her arms as the brown material was pulled up over her head and off her body. The soft candlelight caused her erect nipples to cast small shadows on her breasts, only serving to enhance the vision that had taken the warrior's breath away. She knew full well what the bard's breasts looked like, remembered the feeling of their firm heaviness in her hands, the firm tips in her mouth, but the memories were nothing compared what she was feeling right now. With her eyes locked on Gabrielle's, Xena brought her hands to the bard's face, letting the fingers gently trail downward, over the edge of the jaw and down until she reached the base of Gabrielle's throat. She smiled at the rapidly pounding pulse she found and let her fingers rest there for a moment before moving them lower. "Xena…" the bard gasped when she felt the warrior's palms brush against her erect nipples.

"Mmm, I like the way you do that." the taller woman murmured as her fingers closed around the pliant flesh. She bent down until her lips were next to a very sexy earlobe. "I like the way you react to my touch." unable to resist, Xena pulled the flesh into her mouth and suckled while her hands continued to explore Gabrielle's breasts. The sighs and groans the warrior received from her actions were enough to cause a trickle between her legs as her passion and desire increased beyond anything she experienced before. There was something so pure, so right about being with Gabrielle that Xena couldn't imagine how she survived without it. She released the bard's ear and moved her lips down until she reached the offered throat and claimed it as her own. She brushed the backs of her fingers across Gabrielle's nipples before taking them between her thumbs and forefingers and squeezing rhythmically.

"Gods, Xena…please don't stop." the bard sighed, her hands going to the back of the warrior's head, encouraging further exploration. She mewed a complaint when Xena's hands left her aching breasts until she realized where they were headed.

"I have no intention of stopping until I've sent you higher than Mount Olympus." the warrior said huskily as her hands cupped Gabrielle's firm rear, pulling her closer. Come morning the bard would be unable to remember when or how her skirt and undergarments disappeared because before she knew it her bare flesh was pressing against Xena's leathers.

The warrior gently pressed her down onto the bed and laid partially over the bard, sighing at the sensation. Her mouth sought out Gabrielle's while her right hand traveled up and down the bard's side, committing every curve and valley to memory and fanning the fire that was already burning brightly within the young woman. Xena used her knee to gently separate Gabrielle's legs and pressed her thigh against the warm wetness. "Gods, Gabrielle…" she groaned as she buried her head in the bard's shoulder. "…so wet." she couldn't resist and ground her thigh against the bard's sex, eliciting a soft cry and the feeling of Gabrielle rocking her hips. She felt small fingers reach behind her to loosen the ties that held her leathers on and smiled against the bard's neck at her persistence when the string refused to budge. "Hang on." Xena said, rocking back onto her knees and reaching behind herself to loosen the stubborn lace. When she sat back to pull the leathers off, her soaked undergarments came into contact with Gabrielle's knee, causing the warrior to groan and rock slowly. She tossed the leathers aside but made no effort to move, the feeling between her legs too enjoyable to end quite yet. Xena's head fell forward and her eyes closed as she continued to rock against the bard's lower thigh, the thin material of her undergarments rubbing against her clit. Gabrielle watched through half-lidded eyes while the warrior continued to soak her leg.

As pleasant as the sensations were, Xena had a more pressing goal than her own pleasure. She rolled off the bard long enough to shuck her boots and the remainder of her clothing. She laid down against Gabrielle and showered her face with soft kisses mixed with murmurs of how much she loved the bard and how lucky she was to have the young woman in her life. Her leg insinuated itself back between Gabrielle's powerful thighs and proceeded to resume its pressure against the bard's sweet wetness.

"I want you, Gabrielle." Xena husked as she slid further down, her lips reaching the area usually covered by the bard's top. "I want all of you…everywhere…totally." her lower lip brushed across one aching nipple. She was answered with a soft whimper that she found most sexy. "Oh yes, Gabrielle, I want to hear you."

"Xena…" she moaned, arching her back and closing her eyes. Her hands, which were balled into fists at her sides, now found themselves buried into the raven tresses, pressing the warrior's mouth against her. She rocked against Xena's thigh, desperately seeking relief from the ache between her legs. Gabrielle cried out when she felt the warm mouth close around her nipple and began suckling.

Xena couldn't believe how responsive the bard was. Every touch evoked a reaction and every reaction caused an equal response from the warrior. Each moan was answered with a muffled one, each rise of the hips was met with a downward thrust of a thigh. Xena feasted on Gabrielle's breasts, alternating between licking, sucking, and nibbling while her fingers lavished attention to the neglected one. Her thigh was soaked with the bard's passion and the warrior's mouth watered with the thought of tasting that sweet wetness.

Gabrielle's senses were on overload. Her fingers clasped and unclasped the strands of ebony hair hopelessly tangled about them. Her hips moved of their own volition against Xena's thigh in an increasingly frantic motion as her cries grew louder and became more urgent. "Oh gods, Xena please!" she begged as she felt herself spiraling out of control. The warrior understood and shifted just enough to bring her hand between her thigh and the bard's need. Both women moaned at the contact. Gabrielle's heels dug into the bed and her back arched as her body stiffened. A few strokes of Xena's fingers against her throbbing clit were all that were needed to send her over the edge. Gabrielle let out a guttural scream that only remotely resembled her lover's name. Her thighs trembled but she never noticed as the warrior's still moving fingers continued to draw her orgasm out. When she fell limply back onto the bed, Gabrielle found herself immediately in Xena's loving embrace. "Shh…I've got you…" the warrior cooed, placing a multitude of kisses on the bard's forehead while softly stroking her golden hair. Gabrielle buried her head into the safe haven of Xena's neck and let the steady pounding of the warrior's heartbeat lull her back from the Elyssian Fields.

The bard was so still that Xena was certain she had fallen asleep on her until she felt the warm mouth attach itself to her neck and begin sucking. She had no doubt that she would be sporting a red mark come morning to match the one she had created on Gabrielle's neck just a short while ago. The pressure of the bard's tongue moving across her pulse point caused her blue eyes to flutter and a soft moan to escape her lips. "So nice…" she murmured, pressing against the back of Gabrielle's head, silently encouraging her to continue. Small fingers moved slowly across the warrior's abdomen before moving upward to cup the underside of her left breast. "Oh gods…" Xena sighed when she felt Gabrielle's mouth begin its descent over her collarbone and still lower while the bard's hand slid up to cover her hardening nipple. "Yessss…" she groaned when Gabrielle's tongue circled her right nipple before taking it into her mouth. Xena's hips began to rock in anticipation. It was all Xena could do not to move the bard's hand to exactly where she needed it, to quench the burning fire between her legs. Gabrielle's slow and loving movements were driving her crazy and she wondered just how long she could endure the exquisite torture.

"So nice." the bard murmured as she let her tongue paint a path down the soft hill into the valley between Xena's breasts. She shifted her body on top of the warrior's, her wet golden curls doing their own painting on the dark haired woman's belly. Gabrielle slowly kissed her way up the left breast until her lips came in contact with the pebbly flesh. "I love you, Xena." she said before lightly nipping the erect nipple, pleased with the shudder it created. She pulled as much of the warrior's breast into her mouth as she could and proceeded to lose herself in her task. She captured Xena's nipple between her teeth and flicked her tongue across it again and again. The warrior's body was in constant motion now, her back arching into the activities of Gabrielle's mouth while her legs parted to cause the bard's leg to slip between them. Xena's hands trailed down the smaller woman's back to cup the firm rear and push against her need.

Gabrielle moved her other leg between Xena's and slowly moved downward, her mouth exploring the firm softness of the warrior's stomach. She came into contact with the area where her passion was still glistening on the smooth skin and she tasted herself for the first time. It was a taste unlike any she'd known before. Curious, Gabrielle ran her index finger over the warrior's soaked curls and brought it back to her mouth. She sucked her digit clean and repeated the process, this time allowing her finger to slip between Xena's folds and become soaked with the flood that existed there. "Gabrielle…" the warrior moaned, her hips bucking to try and draw the bard in. She let out a disappointed whimper when she felt Gabrielle's hand move away until she realized where it was going. Xena watched through barely open eyes as the young woman put her finger into her mouth and sucked it before moving up to claim a kiss.

"I love you." Gabrielle whispered before her lips touched the warrior's. Xena tasted herself on the bard's tongue and moaned into the younger woman's throat. All too soon the kiss ended and she felt Gabrielle move down her body, small fingers sliding through her dark curls and between her folds.

"Yesss, please Gabrielle…I need…" she lost coherent thought as two fingers found their way deep inside her.

Supporting herself with her left arm, Gabrielle continued to slid the fingers of her right hand in and out of Xena, quickly creating a rhythm with the frantically moving hips. She couldn't believe just how wet her warrior was, so much more so than when they were in the cave. Her fingers moved easily, plunging in and out to meet each thrust, but Gabrielle realized instinctually that Xena needed more. "Oh, sweet Athena." the warrior gasped when she felt a third finger slide into her depths. "Yes, Gabrielle…please…" her eyes shut completely as every movement of the bard's hand drove her higher and higher.

The sweet tightness around her fingers coupled with the nonsensical moans from Xena caused Gabrielle's own sex to throb with renewed desire. She moved her thumb against the side of the warrior's clit and rubbed against it, never losing the rhythm of her thrusts. Xena's eyes were clenched shut, her head thrown back, her breathing ragged and she was sure that she'd never survive the impending explosion. Her hips were now completely off the bed as she forced herself onto the bard's hand again and again. She covered her eyes with her arm while her other hand found purchase in the bed clothes. She felt Gabrielle shift position and groaned when she felt the bard's thumb move away from where she needed it most. Her head snapped up when she felt the soft tongue slide between her folds and lightly explore. The pounding deep in the center of her being grew to a level beyond any she had ever felt before and her head dropped back to the bed as her hands grabbed Gabrielle and held her in position. "Oh gods, don't stop, please don't stop." she cried as her muscles all tensed up. One, two, three thrusts of the bard's fingers deep in her combined with the soft tongue on the outside were all that was needed to send her over the edge.

Gabrielle was held so tightly against the velvety softness as Xena's body spasmed with release that she couldn't breathe but she didn't care. It would be worth suffocating to share this precious moment, to feel the squeezing of the warrior's inner walls against her fingers, the pulsing clit against her tongue, the salty wetness on her chin. She slowly removed her fingers and did her best to lick up every drop of Xena's love before she heard the soft, raspy voice call her name. "I'm here, Xena, I'm here." she murmured as she moved up to hold the still quivering woman. She expected the warrior to need some time to recover but she didn't expect Xena to bury her face and cling almost tight enough to leave bruises. Gabrielle stroked the warrior's hair and mixed gentle kisses with soft words of love and devotion until she felt the death grip lessen and soft lips seeking hers.

"I love you." Xena said over and over between kisses. Neither woman could get enough of the other as each kiss deepened and became more passionate. Arms wrapped around each other, hands gently stroked smooth backs, bodies pressed against each other with increasing urgency, each needing more. Xena gently urged the bard onto her back, the pale candlelight reflecting off the sweat soaked body. "You're so beautiful, Gabrielle…so perfect." she whispered in awe. She bent down and gently kissed the perfect nipple she was admiring before looking into the green eyes of the woman that had long ago captured her heart. Xena ran one long finger across the bard's lower lip before the desire to taste those lips again took control.

Gabrielle moaned and pushed with her body until she accomplished her goal of reversing their positions, stretching her compact body atop the length of her warrior. "Mmm, this is better." she murmured as she slid down to taste Xena's neck. Her hands moved until she captured the breasts she enjoyed so much. "I love touching you, Xena." she moved back up for a quick kiss. "I love all of you, the light and the dark and everything between." she found an ear nestled by long dark hair and ran her tongue along it. "You feel so good…" Gabrielle nipped the soft flesh. "…and I can spend all night tasting you." she breathed with a sensuousness that sent a shudder through the body beneath her.

Xena groaned and flipped them over. "Speaking of tasting…." she used her legs to separate the bard's and slowly kissed her way downward. By the time she reached Gabrielle's breasts she noticed the change in the smaller woman's breathing and smiled against the soft mound. She slid down until her lips were even with the bard's navel. Xena noted with a self-satisfied smile that Gabrielle's hips were pressing against her in a silent statement of need. "Soon lover, soon." she promised before moving lower still and brushing her lips over the soaked blond curls.

"Please…" Gabrielle whimpered at the too soft touch. Her body was crying out to be returned back to the glorious place that only her warrior could take it. Xena answered those cries a moment later when she used her thumbs to part the soaked lips and buried her tongue deep into the wetness that was waiting for her. Xena let her tongue explore every fold, every dip, every change in texture while the scent and taste of the bard's passion wreaked havoc with her senses. The soft sighs and groans were sweet music to the warrior's ears and her body reacted to each one of them.

Gabrielle's hands grasped the warrior's head and shoulders, unable to reach anything else. "Xena…" she groaned in frustration and groaned again when she felt Xena pick her head up to look at her, concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't reach anything." she growled, reaching down to pull the warrior up to where she could reach her. Xena complied, sliding her hand between the folds to continue her assault on the bard's senses while she moved up to share a kiss. The warrior's lips, face, and tongue were still coated with Gabrielle's juices and the bard moaned deeply when she tasted herself on Xena's mouth. "I want…to taste you." she husked into their kiss as the warrior's fingers stoked the fires of her passion.

Gabrielle thought she knew the utter joy that being with Xena could bring but she was wrong. Woefully wrong, she realized, when the warrior lowered herself onto her waiting mouth. She wrapped her arms around the older woman's hips to keep herself grounded in reality when she felt the warm tongue replace Xena's fingers. Passion begets passion and pleasure begets pleasure. Gabrielle increased the speed of her ministrations and was answered with an equal increase from the warrior's tongue. Their bodies moved fluidly, hips grinding, hands gripping firm mounds of flesh, soft cries and deep moans spoken and answered. Both concentrated on giving the other the most pleasure they could while their own body rose higher and higher. Gabrielle reached the pinnacle first, turning her head and screaming her release into Xena's thigh while her lower body rose off the bed, taking the warrior with her. Xena stayed with her through the spasms before lifting her head and resting it on the soft triangle of curls. Gabrielle refused to give in to her body's demand for rest and fought to maintain her senses long enough to lean up and wrap her lips around Xena's clit, sucking hard while her tongue moved rapidly across it. Only a few heartbeats passed before she felt the tensing in the warrior's muscles. Xena cried out her lover's name over and over as the waves of release washed through her.

They laid on their backs, both too spent to even think about moving so that they were both in the same direction. For a long time they laid like that, head to toe, fingers lazily strumming across calves. "I can't move." Gabrielle admitted.

"Neither can I." Xena replied, but she finally did move just long enough to turn around and pull the bard into her arms. She looked around the darkened room. "Candle's burned out."

"Mmm, didn't notice."

"No, I'm sure you didn't." the warrior chuckled, placing a soft kiss on Gabrielle's nose. "I think the village could have been picked up and moved and we wouldn't have noticed."

"The village?" the bard picked her head up, suddenly realizing just where they were. "Oh gods, Xena. Do you think someone heard us?"

"Oh I'm sure someone heard us. We weren't being particularly quiet." she smiled gently at the blush she knew was on the bard's face even though she couldn't see it. "It's all right, Gabrielle, I'm sure they've heard two women loving each other before. This is a village full of Amazons, after all." she leaned over for a kiss. "Besides…" she held her lips just above the bard's. "I love the way you cry out my name." she ran her tongue along the outline of young woman's lips.

"You do, huh?" Gabrielle asked with a smile. "Good, 'cause I love the way you cry out mine." she lifted her head up and captured Xena's lips with hers. "And I have every intention of hearing you say it often."

The next day showed no sign of the Amazon Queen or the Warrior Princess but every so often one of their names were shouted out from within the confines of the small hut. Ephiny walked by at one point and shook her head. "Some queens have all the luck." she muttered before heading to the piles of scrollwork that she knew she'd get no help with that day.

THE END