Academy Author Index
Last Updated: 9/8/2005
Your face may permanently freeze into a grin after experiencing this marvelously delightful little tale. Fed-up with Joxer dotting on her like a love-sick puppy, a VERY frustrated bard comes up with the perfect solution to discourage him - one destined to prove PURE torture for a certain Warrior Princess.
Xena and Gabrielle help a village fight raiders even as they are struggling against misunderstandings concerning their feelings for one another.
In parts this story is physically PAINFUL to read BUT...it is also very well written - offering a different perspective on the events which took place during and immediately after the episode RETURN OF CALLISTO. Beginning just after Gabrielle's marriage to Perdicus, it is based on the premise that Callisto did not succeed in killing the man on the day after his marriage. In this story Xena saves the one-time farmer and soon finds herself in a living Tartarus - traveling with BOTH Gabrielle and the bard's husband - desperately trying to keep her feelings for the young woman hidden while searching for a way to separate their lives forever. Gabrielle soon recognizes in her own heart the feelings reflected back at her from pale blue eyes only now vows to another stand in the way, vows which may keep her from grasping the happiness that has been within her reach all along. Emotionally gripping, this story is going to make you thank the gods for Callisto.
Poignantly haunting alt. tale that has Xena and Gabrielle trying to discover what happened to a pair of lovers on a fateful night long ago.
Solstice Series
I had the pleasure of getting a sneak peek of this story a while back and it's been a personal favorite ever since. Set in the time of the Winter Solstice, it has the warrior and her bard enjoying this magical time of the year while they stay at a village where the annual festival is in full swing. Delighting in all the activities, Gabrielle can't quite believe her stoic warrior seems to be enjoying herself too. What the storyteller does not know is that Xena has made careful plans to make sure everything is perfect for Gabrielle because for once she wants to show the bard just what she means to her.
This story is part of a "loose" series which began with Solstice Eve. Like the first installment, this second tale is a gift for the heart - beautiful and very touching. Still set amidst the Winter Solstice, the story takes place the morning after the events in Solstice Eve and has Gabrielle reminiscing about her time with Xena and then unveiling a little surprise for her warrior. Short and VERY much worth the read.
This was posted long ago in the NetForum as a separate story but in fact it is part of the series Beowolf began with Solstice Eve and later continued with Solstice Morning. 'Crossings' is one of my favorite vignettes ever - a simple yet incredibly powerful little tale that with only a few lines will make you feel more than novels hundreds of pages long. It is plainly put - a story about a love that cannot die and will endure forever.
Another Time, Another Solstice Eve
Already responsible for two of my favorite Solstice stories ever, Solstice Eve and Solstice Morning, Beowolf brings us an absolutely BEAUTIFUL new offering set exactly one year after those two earlier stories. This time Solstice finds the warrior and bard in a very different place under very different circumstances with Xena feeling horribly guilty at the life she is giving Gabrielle. The little bard, however, has different thoughts on the matter, knowing full well from where her happiness truly comes. This story is very much based on the sense of love and family and hope the Solstice season celebrates. It is reaffirming and deeply poignant.