by B L
Miller
part 1
Copyright: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, Argo, etc. are owned by MCA/Universal. I
only borrowed them for a little while. No infringement was intended. The rest of the story
is mine and I hold the copyright to it. Do not use any part of this story without my
written permission. I may be contacted at blmillerstories@aol.com.
Sex: This story contains scenes of two women making love.  If this offends you,
please don’t read my story. There are plenty of other wonderful stories out there.
Violence: There are graphic scenes of violence within this story.
This story won the Second Bard
Contest in July 1997
 The
battered ship rocked back and forth as the relentless waves continued to crash against the
sides. The twenty Amazon passengers huddled together below deck, each thinking of their
loved ones and praying to their beloved Goddess Artemis to get them home safely.
The seas had been calm as they left the Isle of Lesbos, most visiting family members,
some to see the great Sappho, still others just to relax in the hot springs. None
suspected that their visit might end up costing them their lives. The ship had just passed
the point of no return when the waves started to unexpectedly rise.
Artemis gazed down at the scene in her scrying bowl. "My children.", she
cried as she watched the water crash again and again upon the decks of the weakening ship.
There was no time to waste. Donning her quiver and one of her silver arrows, she picked up
her bow and left her realm.
Just as they were about to give up hope, the passengers were amazed at the sudden
calming of the waters around them. Several Amazons, overcome with curiosity and the
claustrophobic surroundings, went up on deck. The scene they witnessed would stay with
them the rest of their lives.
Sitting astride the mighty Pegasus, Artemis fired her sixth silver arrow into the water
surrounding the ship. The last wave heading for the ship lost its energy and the sea
finally calmed. From her vantage high in the skies above, she saw several Amazons and ship
crew members run up on deck. She was just about to go back to her realm, satisfied that
all was safe and well with her beloved Amazons, when the sea rumbled violently. A safe
distance from the ship, the watery form of Poseidon rose, dwarfing the once mighty vessel,
now barely able to make it to shore.
"Uncle.", Artemis said coolly as she gently stroked the mane of the white
flying horse. He aimed his trident at his favorite niece.
"ARTEMIS!", he spoke with a fury that rumbled through the skies. The mortals
watching the spectacle cowered at the sound of his voice. "Do you know what you have
done?"
"I couldn’t let my Amazons die needlessly!", she shouted back.
"There was no need. They prayed to me for help and assistance. How could I deny
them?"
"You know better, daughter.", Zeus appeared in the sky above them, the dark
form of Hades standing behind him. The mortals all lowered their heads in fear of the
gods. "That ship and all aboard were to perish today. Their passage across the river
Styx has already been paid for. What you have done by interfering cannot go
unpunished."
"Brother, allow me to destroy the ship now, before they can reach land.",
Poseidon interrupted. Indeed it would be less than one candlemark before the ship would be
beyond any possible danger.
"No!", Zeus roared. "If my daughter is to be punished for her act, then
that act must be allowed to continue along its course. Hades, you will have to wait for
their souls. Poseidon, provide them safe passage.", he turned his attention back to
his daughter, given to him by the beautiful Leto. Artemis presided over childbirths,
despite being a virgin, because she caused her mother no pain during her birth. It greatly
saddened the ruler of the gods that he had to punish his daughter. "Artemis, you have
violated a scared rule amongst gods. I would have expected this from Ares, but certainly
not you."
"I did what I felt was right, father. I do not regret my decision. If I had it to
do again, my actions would not change.", her light brown eyes flared with
self-righteousness and determination.
"You may very well regret your decision, Artemis.", he said solemnly.
All the gods were summoned to Mount Olympus for the special trial. Artemis stood
straight, her chin raised, as Zeus read the verdict and punishment.
"Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon, Virgin caretaker of Childbirth, you are
guilty of interfering with the lives of mortals outside of your realm. Had your action
been taken on dry land, this tribunal might not have been called. However, your actions
resulted in thirty seven lives being taken from Hades. Thirty-seven lives that the Fates
must now continue to weave. The fact that most of those lives were your Amazons makes no
difference. This indiscretion cannot be taken lightly. My daughter, like your brother
Ares, you need to learn what life as a mortal is like.", he reached forward and took
her silver bow, quiver, and arrow. "Your punishment is this, Artemis. You will be
cast down to the world as a mortal, with all the feelings and sensations that a mortal
has. Your bow, arrow, and quiver will be scattered throughout the land. Hermes will give
you one clue as to where the first item is hidden. Only when you find that shall you
receive any clue as to where the next one is hidden, and so on. You will not be allowed to
reenter Mount Olympus nor communicate with any of the gods, until you have either
completed your quest or die.", his eyes burned with the seriousness of his statement.
"Make no mistake, my daughter, if you die as a mortal, you will be sent to the
Elyssian fields for eternity, just as any mortal would."
Artemis lowered her head. Aphrodite and Athena let out small gasps. The severity of the
punishment was not expected. Even Ares’ eyes grew wide at the words. He never
expected his father to punish one of his daughters so harshly. Artemis looked up her
father and her uncles seated at either side of him. "What about my Amazons? Who will
watch over them?"
"I will, sister.", Athena stepped forward. "I will protect your Amazons
as fiercely as I protect Athens.", her look went straight to Ares. "Your
children will be safe, Artemis.", the God of War nodded slightly in defeat. He knew
that to defy his father’s favorite daughter could cost him his godhood again.
"Artemis.", Zeus looked down at his daughter. "Your punishment begins
now. I grant you only the option of deciding where you wish to appear.", he leveled
his thunderbolt at her, already knowing her answer.
"I wish to be with my beloved Amazons."
Ephiny was walking across the grounds when she saw the single thunderbolt coming at
her. There was almost no time to think before the bolt struck the ground near the temple.
The crackle that accompanied it reverberated throughout the village. The brightness of the
lightning bolt caused the Amazon to be blinded for a moment. When her vision returned, she
saw a large, burnt out area in front of the temple where the bolt had landed. Lying in the
center of the burn spot was a young woman, no more than twenty-five summers. She was
dressed in deer skins that were only a few shades darker than her light brown hair. Ephiny
ran over toward the fallen woman, all the while yelling instructions to the Amazons that
were approaching.
Reaching the unconscious form, Ephiny turned her over to check for injuries. She let
out a startled gasp as she recognized the face. She had seen that same face countless
times on the statue in the temple. Ephiny suddenly found it hard to breathe as she stared
at the face of Artemis.
"Xena, how can you stand there and tell me that this field isn’t
pretty?"
"Gabrielle, it’s just flowers. It’s not like it’s a horse or
anything.", the warrior replied in a bored tone.
"Not a romantic bone in your body, huh?", all Gabrielle got for an answer was
a crooked smirk. "You know, Xena, it wouldn’t hurt for you to try and relax once
in a while."
"Oh, you do enough relaxing for the both of us.", the warrior said as she
patted her on the shoulder. "Come on, we need to find a safe place to set up camp.
There won’t be that many candlemarks of daylight left.", as she walked away,
Xena chuckled to herself as she imagined the pout that was most certainly on
Gabrielle’s face at the moment.
The fire burned slowly, keeping them warm as they slept. Xena’s eyes opened
quickly, her senses alerting her to approaching danger. Gabrielle shifted slightly as her
sleeping body tried to get comfortable on the hard ground.
Her hand clamped down on the bard’s mouth as she shook her awake.
"Someone’s coming."
Xena was fully dressed and backing up into the trees. Gabrielle pulled her staff up
tight against her and pretended to be sleeping.
As the warrior had warned, within moments a horse and rider broke through the clearing.
Even in the pale light of early morn, Gabrielle could make out the distinctive garb and
markings that signified Amazon. She rose quickly and made a sign of peace as the rider
quickly dismounted. The black stallion ambled off to join Argo in a nearby clover bed as
Xena came out from the trees. Blue eyes met green as unspoken words were exchanged. There
was trouble at the Amazon village.
"Regent Ephiny sent me to find you, my Queen.", the rider said as she
gratefully accepted the waterskin from Gabrielle. "Your presence is required
immediately."
"What’s the problem this time?", Xena asked as she started to assemble
their belongings.
"Artemis is in trouble."
The Amazon, Tylia, told them all she knew, which wasn’t much. "So she just
fell from the sky?", Gabrielle questioned as they walked alongside each other. Xena
looked down at them from atop Argo. Tylia loosely held the reins to her black horse,
allowing it to walk slowly behind them.
"There was a great thunderbolt, as if Zeus himself sent her. By the time I was
sent to look for you, she hadn’t woken up yet."
"And Ephiny is sure that it’s Artemis?", Xena asked.
"Ephiny said she looks exactly like the statue." Tylia replied. "I
didn’t get a chance to see her."
"Uh huh.", the warrior muttered. Gabrielle shot her a look before turning her
attention back to their traveling companion. Xena remained lost in thought for the rest of
the ride.
Once they entered the village, they headed straight for the temple, only to be stopped
by Ephiny. "She hasn’t moved since we found her three sunrises ago. You two look
exhausted. Why don’t you go bathe and rest. We’ll send word if there’s any
change."
"Who’s with her now?"
"Taras the healer and Julia the priestess.", Ephiny answered. "Now you
two go. I’ll have food sent to your hut. Besides, you certainly don’t want to go
see Artemis dressed like that."
Gabrielle looked down at her sweaty, dirty clothes. She nodded her head and followed
Xena to the baths. As a royal guard waited outside, the two women quickly undressed and
sank into the tub.
"Ahhh, this is sooo nice." Gabrielle purred as she closed her eyes and laid
her head back on the edge of the tub. Xena sat across from her, watching through hooded
eyes. The bard’s arms were stretched out along the edge, causing her breasts to rise
and fall as she breathed.
"Yes it is.", she replied. Xena didn’t even try to think about how long
she had been admiring Gabrielle’s body or how long she had desired her young friend.
It seemed impossible to believe that the beautiful creature lounging naked in the tub with
her was the same frightened girl she had rescued just two summers ago. Gone was the baby
fat, replaced with firm muscle that only served to accent her graceful curves. A familiar
warmth spread through the warrior’s body as her mind raced with imaginative thoughts
of a carnal nature. Xena didn’t know why she put herself through this exquisite
torture, the object of her desires scant hands away, yet still unavailable. Her mind
carried every image of Gabrielle, every fleeting glance or stolen look. She kept those
visions with her, bringing them out only when she was alone. Only then could she release
the tensions that were built up inside her while her mind filled with erotic thoughts of
her beloved bard.
Deciding that the torture was now too much, Xena quickly washed up and climbed out of
the tub. "I’m going to go check on Argo and then get some rest." She said
as she pulled on the clean tunic provided by the Amazons.
"Okay, I’ll be there in a little while. I think I’ll wander over to the
food hut and see what Maras has to offer." Gabrielle said.
Xena paused to take one more glance at Gabrielle’s naked form before leaving. She
knew that Argo would get only a quick brushing before she headed to the hut to deal with
her desires alone. As Xena left the bath hut, she smiled as she thought about how
frequently such moments of self-indulgence were now necessary. Although modest, Gabrielle
revealed herself to Xena often enough to make such moments almost a daily ritual, usually
performed while out hunting for dinner.
Several candlemarks later, both women, now rested, headed to the temple. Ephiny was
waiting for them. "She woke up briefly and said your name, Gabrielle.", there
was no mistaking the shock that appeared on the young queen’s face.
"Me? Artemis called for me?", it was still hard for Gabrielle to accept that
as Queen, she was Artemis’ chosen. Of course there were still times when it was hard
for the young woman from Potodeia to accept that she was queen of the entire Amazon
nation.
"Yes. I think you should go and see her now. She may wake up again soon."
Ephiny held the door for Gabrielle as she entered the temple. She tried to hold the door
for Xena, but the tall woman reached out with her long arms and grabbed it herself.
Gabrielle sat in a chair next to the pallet in the priestess’ room. Darkness fell
slowly as they waited for the goddess to wake up. Artemis moaned softly before opening her
eyes. "Ga...", the eyes closed as she fell back into unconsciousness.
"I’m here, Artemis." She reached out and took the goddess’ hand in
her own. Xena leaned against the wall as they began their long vigil over the fallen
deity.
Apollo’s chariot was just beginning to make its daily ascent when Gabrielle was
woken up by Xena’s hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her. "She’s waking
up."
"Thanks.", Gabrielle yawned as she sat up and stretched. She gratefully
accepted the mug of tea offered by Julia, the priestess. The three women watched as
Artemis moved her head from side to side before finally opening her eyes.
"Where...?", her voice, once silvery and smooth, now seemed hoarse and raspy.
Xena took the mug from Gabrielle’s hands and offered it to her.
"You’re in your temple, my goddess. The Amazons brought you in here when you
fell from the sky.", Julia explained. It took a moment for the confused Artemis to
remember and understand.
"I’ve been cast out.", she said softly. Xena’s face remained stoic
as the other women’s faces registered their shock at the news. As she sipped the tea,
Artemis detailed the events leading to her being banished from the immortal realm. Xena
and Julia listened quietly, an act that seemed impossible for the curious bard, who
interrupted constantly with questions.
"So do you know what you have to do to regain your godhood?"
Artemis sighed and took another sip of the tea. "My bow, arrows, and quiver have
been placed in different locations throughout Greece. I don’t know where they are or
what I have to do to get them.", she handed the now empty mug back to Gabrielle.
"Hermes will give me a message telling me where I have to go to find the first
item."
"My Goddess,", Julia exclaimed. "Surely you aren’t expected to
leave the village and look for these items yourself. We have several well-trained warriors
who would be honored to...", her words were cut off by Artemis’ outstretched
hand.
"I am expected to, Julia." , she smiled gently at the crestfallen look on the
priestess’ face. "I will not go alone, my child. I expect Gabrielle to accompany
me."
Gabrielle’s face registered shock while Xena maintained her stoic face. The only
indication that the warrior had heard the comment was the slight, almost imperceptible
narrowing of her eyes. "No.", the blue eyes locked with the brown of Artemis.
"You have no say in the matter, Xena."
"I will not allow Gabrielle to be put in jeopardy.", her tone was firm.
"Julia is right, you have plenty of warriors to choose from to help you."
"Xena, can I talk to you for a moment?", without waiting for an answer,
Gabrielle grabbed her forearm and pulled her off to a far corner.
"What?", Xena kept her tone low, but made sure it conveyed her annoyance.
"Gabrielle, there’s no reason for you to be put in such danger. I have no doubt
that the trials that Zeus has set up are going to be more dangerous than any we’ve
faced before. I won’t let you put your life in jeopardy like that."
"Let me?", Gabrielle said indignantly. "Let me?", her voice rose
slightly. "Xena, you are my best friend, but you don’t control me. I don’t
need your permission."
"Gabrielle, that’s not what I meant."
"Of course it is, Xena, or you wouldn’t have said it.", the green eyes
flashed with anger and defiance. "I’m going to help her. Whether you choose to
or not is up to you.", Gabrielle turned to walk away when Xena’s hand reached
out and grabbed her wrist.
"You know I’ll go wherever you do, Gabrielle. I just don’t like it. I
hate being used by the Gods."
"Artemis isn’t using us, Xena. She’s asking for help.", she looked
down at her wrist and waited for the warrior to release her grip. The two women stared at
each other for a moment before Gabrielle moved back to Artemis’ side. Xena waited a
moment, then walked over and stood behind the bard, maintaining a protective presence.
Julia sat on the opposite side of the bed, casting cool looks at the tall warrior who
seemed so disrespectful to her goddess.
"I would be honored to help you, Artemis.", Gabrielle noted the look of
relief on the huntress’ face.
"Good, we’ll wait until Hermes delivers the first message. Until then, I
would like to walk around and see the village from this new perspective.", just then,
Artemis’ stomach gave a rumble that reminded Xena of the bard’s noisy belly.
Gabrielle chuckled until she saw the frown on Artemis’ face.
"I think the first place you should visit is the food hut.", the bard said
with a smile.
"Why?", she asked. Even Xena almost chuckled at the confused look. Gabrielle
smiled gently, putting Artemis at ease.
"You’re hungry. That’s why your stomach growled."
"Oh. I guess there’s a few things I have to get used to." Artemis swung
her feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. Only Xena’s quick reflexes kept her
from stumbling to the ground.
"I guess walking would be one of those things.", the blue-eyed warrior said
wryly. Gabrielle flashed her a look before taking Artemis’ other arm to give support.
"Don’t mind her, Artemis. She’s always like that."
"I know, child."
"Oh yeah, heh heh, I guess you would know that, being a goddess and all." The
bard said sheepishly. Artemis smiled and patted the small hand.
Everywhere the three women went, a crowd of loyal Amazons followed, all trying to catch
a glimpse of their goddess, as well as their radiant young queen. Ephiny assigned the
entire royal guard to encircle and protect the two women, even though she knew that Xena
would never allow any harm to come to either of them. Artemis smiled at Ephiny in
appreciation of the gesture. They walked around, Gabrielle continuing to lend her arm in
support of the huntress as she learned to use her mortal legs. "Everything looks so
different from down here.", Artemis commented as she looked around, taking in the new
view and sensations.
As they passed the communal flower garden, Artemis let out a gasp of joy.
"Gabrielle, can you smell that?" She breathed in deeply. "All those
wonderful fragrances.", with the wonderment of a child, Artemis bent down and sniffed
a lilac bush. "Oh, so pretty." Gabrielle answered as many questions as she could
about the multitude of flowers that made up the garden. A young woman was at the far end
of the garden, on her knees, tending to her task with one eye while the other was trained
on the mortal version of her goddess. She almost fainted when Artemis spotted her and
walked over. "Are you the one responsible for this garden?"
"Y-yes, my goddess." The woman answered as she lowered her head. Artemis put
her fingers on the woman’s chin and gently urged her to a standing position.
"You are Milaka, daughter of Rouna. Your garden is very beautiful. Thank you for
sharing it with me."
"Uh...", the kind words from her goddess as well as the gentle touch were too
much for Milaka. She fainted.
Although once a powerful goddess, Artemis was a babe in the woods when it came to the
normal day to day activities of mortals. Looking at the long tables filled with food, she
had no idea what to eat or how much of it to eat. She decided to follow Gabrielle’s
lead and put on her plate whatever she saw the bard place on hers. Xena stood behind her,
doing her best not to grin as she watched both plates fill higher and higher. Gabrielle
was chattering away, totally oblivious to Artemis’ imitation of her. Of course, no
one dared tell the goddess that she was taking too much food. To the amazement of all,
Artemis matched Gabrielle bite for bite, swallow for swallow. Several Amazons stopped
eating just to watch the spectacle. Xena ignored the goings on and quickly consumed her
meal, only to wish she hadn’t. Now finished eating, she was forced to sit there and
wait while the other two ate and chatted. Gabrielle was gently grilling the goddess about
Mount Olympus, the various gods and goddesses, and anything else she could engage Artemis
into talking about. After three full candlemarks of dining and chatting, they finally left
the food hut. Maris, the head cook, watched them leave, making a mental note to
substantially increase the amount of food put out for the evening meal.
In the evening, Artemis retired to the temple to meditate and rest after a day filled
with wonder and excitement. In all her eons as a goddess, she never experienced life
through the eyes and body of a mortal. Her senses seemed dulled, somehow, less precise
than she was used to. Closing her eyes, she tried to pick up on the thoughts of her
Amazons. To her utter dismay, the only sound she heard was an owl hooting to the night
sky. Not being able to read mortal’s minds was definitely going to be a disadvantage,
she decided. As the new sensation of tiredness swept over her, Artemis thought about the
events that led up to her banishment. She slipped into Morpheus’ arms for the first
time, her last waking thought was her firm conviction that she had done the right thing by
interfering with Poseidon and Hades.
Gabrielle laid awake, listening to the rhythmic scraping of the whetstone against the
blade of Xena’s sword. She looked across the room. "Xena, do you think that Zeus
was right?"
Xena looked up from her task. "Gabrielle, what Artemis did affected more than just
the people on that ship. Her actions will affect future generations. I’m not saying
that Zeus was right for banishing her, but I do agree that the gods shouldn’t
interfere with the day to day lives of mortals.", she set the sword and stone down
and settled under the covers on her pallet. "Get some sleep. I have a feeling that
tomorrow is going to be a very busy day."
"Good night, Xena."
Long after Gabrielle had fallen asleep, the warrior laid awake, watching her. Xena
studied the rhythmic rise and fall of the bard’s chest, her ears tuned to the steady,
deep breathing. Quietly slinking from her bed, Xena walked over and knelt down next to
her. She gently brushed a loose lock of hair from the soft face. Unable to resist, Xena
placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before returning back to her own pallet.
After breakfast, Gabrielle and the royal guard escorted Artemis to the training grounds
so she could witness a demonstration from the archers. Xena had volunteered for the
hunting party and would be gone for most of the day. Upon arriving at the grounds, the
queen and goddess watched as archer after archer showed off her skills with the bow and
arrow. When all the archers had completed their display, Artemis stepped forward and
silently asked one of the women for her bow.
Stepping into position, the brown haired goddess raised the bow, set the arrow, and let
the wooden shaft fly. The point imbedded itself slightly above and to the left of the
center of the target. Of course the audience knew better than to say anything. Frowning,
Artemis set another arrow into position and pulled back the bowstring. This time the arrow
rang true and found the correct mark. She allowed a smile of satisfaction to play across
her lips. She handed the bow back to the archer and returned to Gabrielle’s side.
"I’m not used to that bow.", she said. The bard nodded and smiled in
agreement with the explanation.
Without warning, the wind picked up, then calmed again. Some dust settled in
Gabrielle’s eyes, blinding her momentarily. She turned her head and rubbed her eyes.
"What’s that?", she said as she noticed a scroll laying on the ground
behind Artemis.
"Looks like Hermes has finally paid us a visit.", the goddess said as she
picked up the gold scroll. She turned back to face Gabrielle. "I believe the quest is
about to begin." Artemis removed the silk band and unfurled the parchment. She looked
at it for a moment, a quizzical look coming over her face. Shaking her head slightly, she
handed the note to Gabrielle. "I don’t understand it."
Gabrielle took the scroll and read the message aloud. "Look to the nest between
the two eggs and you shall find your first trial." Her bard’s eyebrows furrowed
as she tried to figure out the riddle. "I don’t get it. Do you have any idea
what it could mean?"
"No. The nest between two eggs? It just doesn’t make sense."
The three women set out the next morning. The Amazons provided Artemis with a white
mare, bow and arrows, and the necessary supplies for traveling. Xena rode on Argo while
Gabrielle walked between the two horses. Xena hadn’t figured out the riddle yet but
still insisted that it had to be some sort of a marker for a town or village. Careful
scrutinizatoin of all the maps in the Amazon village showed one small village that fit the
description, Kiveron, six days north.
"I think we should stop and rest." Artemis said after two candlemarks. Her
new-found muscles were beginning to ache from the horse ride.
"Not a chance." Xena said in a bored tone, ignoring the dirty look from
Gabrielle. "We won’t stop for at least three more candlemarks."
It was exactly three more candlemarks before Xena finally allowed them to stop.
Gabrielle set up the camp while the warrior and huntress went to catch lunch. By the time
she had a small fire going and a spit made, the other two women came back with plenty to
eat.
"What’s it like? Being a mortal now instead of a goddess, I mean."
"Well, Gabrielle, there are some things that seem the same but there are many
things that are different." Artemis replied. The bard sat forward on the edge of the
log, thoroughly interested in this rare exchange of information from an actual goddess.
"Well, eating is different, for one thing. I find that mortal stomachs seem to
constantly need filling."
"Not all mortals, just Gabrielle’s." Xena quipped.
"Don’t mind her, she’s always been a poor conversationalist." The
bard said as she shot another look at her best friend. Xena shrugged and went back to
polishing off her share of lunch. "Do go on, Artemis."
"I find the need to do other things more frequently too." Her gaze went off
to the woods. Gabrielle nodded with understanding. "My muscles ache and my lower back
is sore from riding. We could have been there by now if I was allowed to keep
Pegasus." She sighed. "Oh well, I guess that’s part of the punishment. Some
things seem to be the same. I’m still capable of using a bow and arrow and I still
have all my knowledge, although I cannot look into the minds of mortals."
"We need to get going." Xena interrupted.
"Of course." Artemis agreed, pretending not to notice the curt tone in the
warrior’s voice. Not being one to hide her feelings, the huntress was unable to keep
the hurt look off of her face. Xena had turned to saddle up Argo, but Gabrielle did notice
and made a mental note to talk to Artemis later about Xena’s stoic nature and to talk
to her warrior about being nicer to the Moon Goddess.
Less than half a candlemark on the road, the three woman came upon a small band of
thugs. "Lookie at whats we got here, boys." The apparent leader said as he
rubbed his grimy hands on his equally grimy red shirt.
"Boys, there are two ways to go about this. You move aside and let us pass and you
don’t get hurt, or you don’t let us pass, we beat you senseless, and then we
move on." Xena’s throaty voice purred. Gabrielle recognized the tone and
instantly tightened the grip on her staff. Xena was in a mood to fight.
The four thugs broke into an uproarious fit of laughter. Red Shirt looked at the
leather-clad woman carefully, noting the large sword strapped to her back. His laughter
lowered down to a small chuckle, then complete silence. "Who are you?"
"Ahh, now you ask." Xena teased. "Does the name Xena mean anything to
you?" She smiled in satisfaction as Red Shirt and his men turned noticeably paler.
"So, do we pass without incident, or do we open you up and see if your blood matches
your shirt?"
Allowing his brain to operate for a rare moment, Red Shirt moved to the side of the
road to let the women pass. His men hesitated for a moment, then followed him. Xena urged
Argo forward, making certain to keep herself between the men and Gabrielle. As she
expected, Red Shirt reached for his sword just as they came within range.
"Ayiyiyiyi!" Xena somersaulted off of Argo, her feet landing squarely on Red
Shirt’s chest. Gabrielle swatted Argo on the rear, sending the golden mare out of the
way.
"Artemis! Take cover in the bushes." The bard yelled as she began to engage
the thug in the blue shirt. Gabrielle’s staff whirled in the air gracefully, her
mouth set in the same grim line that she had seen so many times on her companion.
Unfortunately for her, Blue Shirt was skilled in fighting sword against staff and handily
blocked her blows.
Green Shirt moved away from the sword wielding woman in leather and worked his way
behind Gabrielle, intent on taking the small woman down. With all of her attention focused
on Blue Shirt, she failed to notice the man sneaking up behind her. Only when she heard
the whistling sound of an arrow and heard Green Shirt’s gasp of pain did she turn her
attention behind her. The last thing Gabrielle saw was Artemis standing there, holding her
bow. The arrow had imbedded itself deep into Green Shirt’s back, the crimson now
flowing freely from the body on the ground. Blue Shirt swung hard, the flat of his blade
connecting solidly with the side of Gabrielle’s head.
"Gabrielle!" Xena heard Artemis’ cry and glanced in their direction. She
saw the huntress send an arrow into Blue Shirt’s chest. With a feral cry, Xena
unleashed her anger at the two remaining men. Within moments, it was over. The warrior
turned her attention to Gabrielle. Artemis had the bard’s head cradled in her lap as
she stroked the blond hair, unmindful of the blood. As Xena approached, she heard the
huntress murmuring softly to the dazed bard.
"Artemis, let me." Xena knelt down next to them and took the precious bundle
from her. "You’re hurt, but not too bad.", she said, earning a small smile
from the bard. The warrior let out a sharp whistle and was rewarded with the sound of Argo
approaching. Cradling Gabrielle in her arms, Xena stood next to the warhorse. A different
whistle and Argo lowered her front legs, then her hind ones, allowing the warrior to
simply step over her and into the saddle. "Artemis, in the right front saddlebag
there’s some bandages." Without a word, the huntress stepped forward and removed
the bandages after struggling with the buckle, another new experience. It was only when
she handed the cloth to Xena did the warrior notice the trembling in Artemis’ hands.
"Is she going to be all right?"
"Yes, but we’ll need to stop for the night. Artemis, take Argo’s reins,
I need to concentrate on Gabrielle." A slight nudge from her knees sent the horse
into a standing position. The bard rested her head against the strong chest, her chin
touching the cool metal of Xena’s breastplate. "Relax, Gabrielle. I’ll take
care of you.", the words were spoken so softly that she barely heard them. The next
candlemark was spent in almost complete silence, interrupted only by Xena telling Artemis
which way to go to reach a safe place to camp for the night. The huntress noted that the
warrior’s blue eyes never left Gabrielle, not even to see where they were going.
They reached a small glen edged on one side by a gentle stream. Sliding down from Argo,
Xena carried Gabrielle over to a soft patch of earth and sat down, laying the bard’s
head in her lap. "Artemis, get me the waterskin, more bandages, and the needle and
tread. I’m going to have to stitch the wound closed." Noting that the goddess
hadn’t moved, she raised her voice and spoke in a more commanding tone.
"Artemis, now!"
The tone and force of the words broke through the huntress’ paralysis, moving her
into action. She quickly found the items requested and handed them to the warrior. The
huntress watched as Xena quickly and expertly stitched the wound closed. Once finished,
the warrior made no effort to release Gabrielle from her arms.
"I can sit up, you know."
"Suit yourself.", Xena said as she moved her arms out of the way. Gabrielle
sat up quickly.
"Oh, my head." Her hand went to the throbbing temple, touching the bandage.
"I’ve told you never to turn your back on the enemy."
"Sorry." Her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was fall back into
Xena’s arms.
"Don’t be sorry, just improve." The two women chuckled at their long
standing private joke. "Guess you get out of making dinner tonight."
The thought of Xena and cooking was enough to force Gabrielle back into a sitting
position, although much slower than before. "Oh no, that’s not necessary, Xena.
I’ll cook dinner. I’m not in the mood for ‘burnt on the outside, raw on the
inside’ tonight."
"Good, I wasn’t looking forward to trying to cook anyway." Xena looked
up at the sky. "There are still several candlemarks of daylight left. Why don’t
we go down to the stream and wash up?"
"Sounds good. Can I wash my hair?" Gabrielle asked. "I really hate the
idea of all that blood dried up in it." Xena lifted the bandage and looked at the
stitches.
"I’ll wash it for you."
"Okay." Gabrielle responded casually, although inside she was thrilled. There
was just something about the way Xena washed her hair that made it seem less like a
cleaning and more like a gentle massage. Gabrielle made a mental note to get Xena to wash
her hair more often.
Both women were in the water and just beginning to wash up when Artemis appeared at the
edge of the stream and started to remove her clothing. Averting her eyes, Gabrielle spoke
up. "Artemis, I’m sorry but we aren’t maidens.", remembering the story
told to her in her youth about the Moon Goddess bathing with young virgins.
"Well, that may have mattered as a goddess, but as a mortal, I’m dirty and
need to wash up. I’m sure I can trust the two of you."
"Makes no difference to me." Xena muttered. "Come on, Gabrielle,
let’s get the blood out of your hair." She had just stepped behind Gabrielle
when Artemis removed her last vestige of clothing. Both women were totally awestruck at
the huntress’ perfect features.
"By the gods..." Gabrielle gasped. Xena mutely nodded. Artemis smiled gently
and immersed herself into the water. She swam until she was still within sight but just
out of earshot before settling in to bathe. "Xena, she’s beautiful." The
bard’s voice was filled with awe.
"Yes she is, Gabrielle.", she agreed. "But you have to remember that she
is, or was, a goddess." Silently Xena thought that although Artemis had an exterior
beauty that couldn’t be denied, it didn’t hold a candle to the radiant beauty of
the young woman next to her. "Are you ready for me to wash your hair?" Gabrielle
smiled and nodded, closing her eyes in anticipation. Unlike her ears, which Xena insisted
were always dirty and in need of a good scrubbing, her hair was treated gently, as if it
would break with the slightest amount of effort.
Artemis waited until both women had dried off and returned to camp before she exited
the water. After washing all the dirt, grime, and blood from her body, she had spent her
time in the water watching her two companions. The looks that she saw Xena giving
Gabrielle whenever the bard’s back was turned confused Artemis. She had always
disliked the idea of her chosen spending all her time traveling the countryside with the
former warlord, assuming that Xena was just using Gabrielle. The look she saw when Xena
was gently washing Gabrielle’s hair was that of pure love and devotion. From her
angle, Artemis couldn’t see what the bard’s reaction to Xena’s touch.
Little was spoken during dinner, Gabrielle was too busy eating and Xena was her usual
stoic self. The huntress noted, however, that the warrior’s attention was clearly
split between eating her dinner and keeping an eye on Gabrielle. She also noticed that
Xena only looked that way at Gabrielle when the bard’s attention was elsewhere. As
the evening wore on, Artemis was convinced that Xena was in love with the young queen.
"I’m going to take another look around the perimeter.", Xena announced
as she rose to her feet. Gabrielle looked up from her scroll and nodded.
"I’d like to accompany you.", Artemis said as she stood up and grabbed
her bow. Xena scowled but the look that Gabrielle shot her silenced any argument.
"Fine, just don’t make noise and don’t get in my way.", no release
tonight, Xena thought to herself.
They were well beyond earshot when Artemis asked to take a break. "I’d like
to talk to you."
"We need to finish searching the area and then get back to camp, Artemis. I
don’t have time for idle conversation.", Xena scowled as she started to walk
away.
"You’re in love with her, aren’t you?" Those words brought the tall
warrior to a halt.
"You don’t know what you’re talking about.", she protested,
although she knew that the huntress was correct.
"Don’t I, Xena? I’ve been watching. I see the way you look at her."
"This is none of your concern, Artemis.", Xena’s voice carried a
threatening tone. "All you need to worry about is finding your mantles and then you
can go back to Mount Olympus and ignore us again."
"I have NEVER ignored Gabrielle, or you.", the huntress’ words were full
of anger and hurt.
"Save your concern for Gabrielle. I don’t need or want it."
"You don’t think I care?", angry and upset, Artemis reached out and
grabbed the warrior’s arm. "Xena, I have watched you. I’ve seen a young
girl who sang a song as beautiful as the nightingale. I watched that young girl turn into
one of the most fearsome warlords the world has ever seen. I watched you try to defeat my
half-brother Hercules and lose. I’ve seen it all, Xena."
"Is there a point to all this, Artemis?", Xena asked in a bored tone.
"You don’t think I care, Xena, but I do. I watched you with her. I’ve
seen the way you look at her. You love her so much yet you refuse to let her into your
heart. Why?"
"Artemis, you were banished from Mount Olympus for interfering with mortals. Take
a hint and stay out of my affairs.", she snarled. Before the huntress could reply,
Xena stormed off into the thick foliage.
"Where’s Xena?", Gabrielle asked when she saw Artemis return alone.
"She went for a walk."
"Oh.", Gabrielle wondered if words had been exchanged between them. Xena was
not known for her tact when it came to conversing with the gods. She rose and laid out her
bedroll. "I guess we’d better get some sleep. It’s going to be a long walk
tomorrow."
"Gabrielle, why don’t you ride with Xena or get a horse of your own?",
Artemis asked as she laid out her bedroll, positioning it an equal distance from Gabrielle
and from where Xena would most likely lay hers.
"First of all, we can barely afford to feed Argo. Secondly, horses and I
aren’t always the best of friends. I had a pony when I was a child, but there’s
no way that a pony would be able to keep up with Argo in a dead run."
"No, I suppose not.", Artemis agreed as she settled into her covers. Both
women turned to see Xena stride into camp.
"Xena, how much longer do you think it will take to get there?"
"At least five more days, Gabrielle, possibly more. Now go to sleep.", she
said as she banked the fire for the night and laid out her bedroll.
"Goodnight Xena. Goodnight Artemis."
"Goodnight Gabrielle." They answered in unison. Artemis smiled, Xena frowned
and rolled over, wishing for this quest to be over with as soon as possible.
The next three days were quiet. Gabrielle kept Artemis entertained during the day with
stories about the gods and mortals, doing her best to keep the huntress and the
conversation away from Xena. She needn’t have bothered. Xena did her best to stay a
fair distance ahead of them, remaining just within earshot in case of trouble. Meals and
nighttime were quiet affairs, with each woman isolating into their own little worlds. Xena
went through her hypnotic rhythm of cleaning her sword while Gabrielle retreated to her
scrolls. Artemis sat quietly, gazing into the flames or meditating.
The fourth day brought more trouble down upon them. Xena had just enough time to warn
them when six bandits came flying out of the bushes at them. Xena jumped off of Argo and
engaged three of the bandits, leaving the others for Gabrielle and Artemis to deal with.
Gabrielle swung her staff, deflecting a blow from one of the men. Artemis raised her bow,
aiming at the man closest to her. With the lack of distance between them, he easily swung
and knocked the bow out of her hands. The huntress fell back, feeling fear for the first
time in her immortal life. Just as the sword was coming down at her, a whistling sound
filled the air. Metal clanged against metal as the chakram connected with his sword.
"Ayiyiyiyiyi." Artemis watched as Xena sailed through the air, her boots
connecting with his chest. Within moments, it was over. Half the men were dead, the other
half unconscious.
"Anybody hurt?", Xena asked, although her attention was focused completely on
Gabrielle, who nodded that she was okay.
"Artemis, are you all right?", the bard asked as she helped the huntress to
her feet.
"Yeah, fine.", she replied as she dusted the dirt off of her clothes. "I
don’t understand why they feel the need to attack us."
"Men just seem to have this thing for wanting to fight with Xena.", Gabrielle
joked, drawing a look from her best friend. In a lower, more conspiriatory tone, she
added, "I think it has to do with the leather."
"I heard that, Gabrielle."
"Did I mention that she has excellent hearing?"
"I see that.", Artemis chuckled as they resumed their trek.
Kiveron was a small mining town, nestled between two large mountains and bordered on
the third side by a wide river. "I’m surprised that village hasn’t been
sacked before.", Xena said as the trio looked around.
"Why is that?", Artemis asked innocently.
"It’s too easy a target. All an army has to do is come straight at them. With
the river and the mountains, there’s no escape. This place is a warlord’s
dream."
"Oh.", Gabrielle said, letting the subject drop. She didn’t want to
bring up Xena’s past in front of the goddess.
"Let’s get into town and see what’s going on. Artemis, be on the lookout
for your mantles. One of them has to be here somewhere.", Xena took one more look at
her bard before climbing back on Argo. "And Artemis, it would probably be a good idea
not to mention who you are."
Once inside the town, Xena headed toward the stables with Argo, leaving Gabrielle to
deal with getting rooms and meals. Artemis followed the bard to the entrance of the
tavern.
"Artemis, I think I should explain a few things to you before we go in there. Once
inside, I want you to stay directly behind me. Don’t say anything to anyone, okay?
The men in places like this are usually dirty and foul mouthed. Just ignore them and
remain focused on me. If there is any kind of trouble, just stay quiet and let me handle
it." Gabrielle didn’t want to sound so firm, but she knew what could happen if
Artemis didn’t do exactly as she said.
As expected, the tavern was full of drunken men, most smelling as if their bodies
hadn’t seen soap in weeks. Gabrielle spotted a table in the far corner. "Stay
right behind me and don’t say a word." Keeping her staff at the ready, the bard
led them through the gauntlet of leering men. Gabrielle smiled to herself upon reaching
the table. It only took a few strikes of her staff to make their way through.
"Why did they bother us?" Artemis asked as she took a seat next to the bard.
"Because that’s what they do, Art…you know something? We need to come up
with a different name for you."
"Why?"
"Because we can’t keep calling you Artemis." Gabrielle lowered her voice
as so not to be overheard. "You know that mortals consider anyone who bears the name
of a god or goddess to be cursed."
Artemis nodded in agreement. "So what name should I use?"
"I don’t know. Let’s think about it." She looked at the huntress
thoughtfully, noting the soft brown hair, the deep, dark eyes, the creamy white skin. A
bright smile came over her. "I’ve got it. We’ll call you Fawn, you know,
like a deer?"
"You do know that the deer is my most sacred animal. Yes, I like Fawn."
"Well, then Fawn it is."
Gabrielle ordered three mugs of port and three dinners. Artemis and her sipped their
port while waiting for Xena to join them. "So, tell me about how you and Xena
met.", Artemis asked, although she already knew the story. She just wanted to hear
the story from Gabrielle’s perspective.
"She rescued me from slavers and…", her gaze was drawn to a large brute
of a smelly man that was headed their way. "I’ll handle this." She gripped
her staff and glared at him, doing her best to imitate Xena’s intimidating stare.
"Ho’much?"
"Now look.", the bard smiled as sweetly as she could. "I’m sure
that you think that there is something at this table that is for sale, but you are
mistaken."
"Oh, I think you are the one who is mistaken, dear." He reached out and
placed his meaty paw on Gabrielle’s shoulder. She brought her staff up, catching him
squarely in the groin. A quick reversal connected with his chin, sending him backwards. He
wiped the blood from his lips and snarled at the blonde woman. "You’re going to
pay for that, you bitch."
"Uh oh", she muttered as she rose to a standing position. As his fist moved
toward her, another fist moved even quicker to smash against the side of his face.
"Can’t leave you alone for a minute, can I?" Xena drawled as she stepped
over the unconscious man and took a seat.
"How long were you watching?", Gabrielle asked as she smiled and handed the
warrior the third mug of port.
"Long enough."
The food arrived and all three ate heartily, Gabrielle explaining the name change
between mouthfuls. "The barmaid said there is only one room available, but it does
have two beds." Xena merely nodded and continued eating, her mind filled with visions
of curling up next to Gabrielle without needing cold weather as an excuse. There was
nothing they could do for the moment except wait and see what happened.
Artemis fell asleep quickly, leaving Xena and Gabrielle to perform their usual nightly
routines. Xena leaned against the headboard, methodically sharpening her sword while
Gabrielle leaned against the wall, writing down notes about their current adventure. It
gave Xena the perfect opportunity to sit and study her friend. She watched the way the
candlelight bounced off the smooth cheeks, the way Gabrielle’s lips moved silently as
she worked. "What are you working on?", she asked softly.
Gabrielle looked up from her writing, catching an unfamiliar look in the blue eyes
before Xena turned her face back down to concentrate on her sword. "Uh, just some
thoughts about today. Hmm, that’s funny."
"What is?"
"You never usually ask me about what I’m writing." Gabrielle’s
thoughtful look was answered with a small smile before the feelings became too much for
Xena.
"I’m going to get ready for bed.", the warrior muttered as she rose and
started to remove her armor. Gabrielle quickly set her scroll and quill down and moved to
the edge of the bed.
"Hey, that’s my job, remember?", she joked as she moved Xena’s
hands out of the way and began to undo the clasps that held the breastplate. "Did you
get hurt in the battle today? You seem a bit stiff."
"No…I must just be tired.", she groaned at her lame excuse. The fact was
that the young woman’s gentle touch stirred the passion in her. Xena concentrated on
her breathing, silently praying that her bard would hurry up and end the sweet torture.
Once they were both down to their shifts, Gabrielle climbed into bed and moved near the
wall. The bed was barely large enough for the two of them to lay side by side, so she
rolled over onto her side, giving the extra room to Xena. Unable to resist the
opportunity, the warrior curled up against her, wrapping her arm around the small waist.
"Not much room.", she quietly explained. Gabrielle nodded and pressed up against
the strong frame behind her.
"It’s okay. I don’t mind.", she murmured and snuggled closer. Xena
relaxed and both soon fell into a contented sleep.
Artemis woke up to see the two women intertwined. She smiled softly and quietly rose
from her bed.
"You don’t have to be quiet, Artemis. Gabrielle can sleep through a
war."
"Oh.", she said. Xena sighed and slowly extricated herself from the softness
of the sleeping bard. She quickly got dressed and put on her boots.
"I’ll go down and get breakfast for us. You stay here and don’t open the
door for any reason until I return, you understand?", she took one last look at
Gabrielle before leaving the room.
By the time Xena returned with the food, Gabrielle was up and dressed. "Oh, look
at all the food!", she exclaimed as she watched the tray being set on the small
table. The warrior chuckled at the wide eyed stare from the soft green eyes.
"I can’t believe you brought up all this food.", Artemis said as she
reached out and grabbed a piece of fish.
"Considering how much food the two of you put away, I had to make sure there would
be some left for me.", Xena teased as she took her seat.
"Did you find out anything?"
"No, Gabrielle. From what I’ve seen, everything is peaceful. There’s no
sign of anything amiss."
"Maybe this isn’t the right place. Maybe the message had nothing to do with a
place, maybe it meant something else.", she turned to Artemis. "Do you have any
ideas?"
The huntress looked up from the food she was eating. "None of this makes any sense
to me, Gabrielle.", she sighed. "Perhaps it does mean something other than a
location."
Xena quickly finished up her breakfast. "I should think you two can find something
to occupy yourselves while I look around town.", she rose and looked at her young
friend. "Gabrielle, do me a favor, try to stay out of trouble, just this once?"
"Funny. Yup, you’re really funny, Xena."
"I know.", the warrior smirked. "Oh, and Fawn?", she looked at the
huntress, "I don’t want to have to pull you out of any scrapes, either."
"Now look, Xena.", Artemis rose, her anger building. "I am not some
child you can boss around. I am the Moon Goddess, protector of the Amazons. You may not
like me, but you will treat me with some kind of respect."
"People have to earn respect, Artemis.", she turned and headed out the door.
A long silence passed between the bard and huntress.
"Come on, Fawn. Let’s go shopping."
"Shopping?"
"You’ll love it.", Gabrielle said as she grabbed her hand. "I know
how to get a bargain."
Concluded in Part Two
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