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By LH Miller
The usual disclaimer that Xena Warrior Princess and the Battling Bard belong only to my heart and are the property of their creators and whomever now owns them. The following is written with no intention of monetary gain or any other profit from the characters other than the pleasure I exact from writing about them.
This story contains implied sexual activity between two consenting adults of the same sex. If this present a problem with your morality, or you are a minor, please look for other stories that better suit your mores or your age.
The story does belong to me and is to be joyfully shared with you the reader. I would take exception to any reproduction without my expressed consent. Your comments are welcomed at RiverCityBard@aol.com
She never tired of watching her. It pleased her just to stand silently, leg crossed over ankle, arms folded, leaning back against the tree watching this woman with emerald gray eyes and hair the color of wheat that she so dearly loved. The wind blew a gentle breeze carrying with it the heady scent of pine. It cooled her skin that had turned to fire, as it always did, in the pleasure she had now found looking outward from her spying place.
How long had it been now? The years passed so quickly. How long now had they found each other in every sense of definition? Heart to heart, body to body, soul to soul, two halves of one whole.
Xena loved Gabrielle. She loved her even before she knew she would. Their paths were destined by the fates to cross and forever entwine.
They "fit." Their bodies could meld into each other as they had been designed liked two pieces of a puzzle that interlocked just perfectly. Xena's large hands could cover Gabrielle's and take them in to a place so secure. Large, slender fingers could wrap over the small hand and fall easily into rubbing a thumb over soft skin. Sometimes Xena felt that if she let go, Gabrielle would evaporate like an ethereal mist.
Xena was watching even now. The young Bard had gone to the lake just a short distance from the site where they had set up camp in a small clearing. There had been no time to bathe before lying down on the damp ground. They arrived after the moon had risen, laid out their blankets, banked a small fire, quickly stretched out and fell into an exhausted sleep.
As was her habit, Xena rose before the sun. She quietly turned, rolled on her side, and watched the Bard softly breathe in and out. Gabrielle had such a peaceful expression, and Xena wondered what dreams danced behind the closed eyes.
A strand of her blonde hair had fallen over Gabrielle's forehead. Xena quickly brushed it back, and gently ran the back of her calloused hand across the sleeping woman's cheek. The sleeper stirred and moved her hand from her side to intercept Xena's. She grasped it, brought it to her lips, and kissed this so familiar touch drawing in deep breath of an always familiar scent.
"Good morning", Gabrielle said smiling and drawing Xena's hand up under her chin to nuzzle it. She laid there looking up into azure blue eyes that unmistakably were brimming with tears.
"Xena…crying? Gabrielle's voice was husky from sleep.
In the gray light just before dawn, Gabrielle sat up, and knelt in front of the woman who would be Warrior. Brushing raven colored hair off broad shoulders, she leaned in and lightly kissed waiting and welcoming lips. A large tear spilled out and began its descent downward cascading over a finely chiseled cheekbone. Gently, Gabrielle wiped the crystal drop away, caressed the worried face while she silently wondered if Xena knew that her left eye was always the first to tear. Nothing about the woman escaped the Bard's notice.
Her head turned ever so slightly with her eyes meeting Xena's pools of blue, and again, without uttering a single word, asked what was troubling this love of her life. Gabrielle was a master of subtle communication.
"Nothing…nothing is wrong." The ebony haired Warrior dropped her head averting eyes that could discern the real truth. Deciding to quietly continue, she offered, "When I see you waking from sleep, smiling, and looking at me the way you do, I am overcome with the love I have for you. I have feared little in my life, but inside the place only you know exist in me, I am so afraid that, someday, I will wake up and you will be gone."
Turning her head again averting the eyes that exacted from her what others had tried and failed to do, Xena uttered a soft and reverent oath. "My soul could not bare that."
Gabrielle cupped the Warrior's chin, turned the hiding face returning it to meet her own. And with a smile that creased at the corners of her gray green eyes, the Bard gently brought the woman into a wanting embrace. A strong hand went to the back of Xena's head, interlaced her fingers in thick black hair while drawing its owner to the side of her neck. She again thought of how much she loved the way Xena smelled. She drank in the scent of leather and the very raw primordial essence that was her Warrior.
Xena tightened the embrace and could now hear the beating of Gabrielle's heart, the heart that belonged only to her. Moving upward to find a small ear, she breathed out a warm whisper of words. "Gabrielle…please…I need…" Xena brought Gabrielle's face to hers and tenderly, deeply, completely, kissed her lips.
Gabrielle withdrew, gasp for breath, saying, "I love you, Xena." The small woman reclined back to the nutmeg colored blanket and pulled down the long frame of the Warrior to rest on top of her entwining their responding bodies. Clothing was soon shed in haste with each eagerly awaiting the other to return bringing the contact that always seemed as though it were the first time there skin had ever touched.
Xena positioned her arms on either side of the Bard's head bearing weight on her strong forearms. She momentarily hesitated as she gazed down at Gabrielle. Their eyes locked into a familiar expression of such love as long flowing dark hair fell forward and intermingled with the golden hair of her lover. The Warrior smiled and slowly descended to meet waiting lips. She never tired of the softness she found in their connection.
Shifting slightly upward, the dark woman ran her hand underneath the Bard's tunic, lifted it up before lowering herself back down, but this time with her lips ever so lightly brushing what lay in wait beneath the course fabric. The response was swift and charged with passion. The touch produced a rush of desire that never ceased to amaze the Warrior in the immediacy of the reaction. Xena whimpered at the sound of soft moan coming from the woman beneath her. Lips continued to explore and soon began a slow movement down the Bard's tanned, well defined form. Words of endearment were exchanged in hushed tones as one gave pleasure, and in doing so, the other received it as well. Gabrielle's body moved in hungry response, arching to find what Xena provided and she now so desperately desired. One body began where the other left off as their spiritual and physical uniting occurred with the autumn sunrise as witness
When both were spent and lying side by side on their backs, they reveled in how much love each could physically express for the other. Gabrielle turned toward Xena propping herself up on one elbow. She gazed down at this woman she knew she would love beyond all time, and with slow, deliberate movements, began to trace Xena's forehead with the back of her thumb. Without opening her eyes, Xena moved her head, as her body had so also done, in perfect rhythm with the Bard's strokes clearly enjoying the touch. Xena captured the movement of the Bard's hand and kissed the palm as she moved to sit upright. Gabrielle slowed the motions of the Warrior and before allowing her to fully rise, leaned in with a reciprocal and tender kiss to the scar above her right breast
The sun began to rise with the fingers of first light filtering through the trees. The fire was nearly gone. Birds were now awake and singing their morning song to the land and to the two women below. Gabrielle attributed this earth's song to the defining act of love, simply exchanged just moments ago, between the two companions.
The usually silent Warrior was the first to speak. "As soon as I find my clothing, I'll gather some more wood for the fire. Why don't you find your way to the lake and bathe while I rekindle the embers."
" I thought that is what we just did", Gabrielle laughed while playfully swatting at an exposed thigh.
Deftly avoiding a second swipe, Xena laughed,"I will join ya later, after I have the fire ready for breakfast." Gathering her leathers, she dressed with the Bard looking on longingly at the tall woman towering over her. She marveled at the beauty of the Warrior's body and how its true suppleness and strength could only be appreciated without the covering of garments.
Having seen that which she always viewed as a privileged pleasure and gift, Gabrielle sat up and reached for her traveling pouch finding the last bar of lavender scented soap. She made a mental note to search out another when they stopped at the next village. Standing up, she stretched her small, but surprisingly taunt and strong body still tingling at the thought of what had occurred on the blanket just a short while ago.
I definitely have a thing for that woman… Gabrielle thought with a deep sigh.
Walking the short distance to the shoreline of the lake, Gabrielle placed a large soft cloth to dry her body, clean clothing, and hairbrush down on the branches of a nearby bush. Slowly, she entered and lowered herself into the cold water. The water was a shock and her breast reacted as they did to Xena's touch. She gradually moved and positioned herself under the gentle falls pouring down from the bluff above. The water's initial assault on her senses diminished turning to enjoyment as the invigorating cold liquid surrounded her.
The sun was quickly breaking casting green rays to meet the morning horizon as the red-orange globe found Xena unseen and watching Gabrielle leaning her honey golden hair backwards under the small cascading waterfall. The light reflected and shimmered off the water as it danced up and away from the shoreline. By the gods, she is such a thing of pure beauty, thought Xena with a heart filled with love for this woman who so willingly continued to travel by her side. The tall warrior turned away with her arms filled with the wood that had been promised to stoke the fire and bring it back to blazing life.
When the fire was brought to a flame matching her morning ardor, Xena silently walked to the water's edge. She stooped to pick up the cloth and held it open as Gabrielle left the water enclosing the Bard in welcoming arms. The Warrior buried her face into the Gabrielle's wet hair smelling the fresh scent of lavender. "I thought mornings such as these were only in scrolls or plays… until I met you", she whispered.
Gabrielle knew this was an exceptional speech coming from this companion usually so thrifty with words. She also knew that no truer words could be spoken.
"Come on, I will walk you back to the warm fire." Falling into the sheltering embrace, the Bard wrapped her arms around the tall body of her professed protector knowing full well that it was she that was the one and true keeper of the fire that burned between them forever fueling their conjoined lives.
Gabrielle leaned into this warrior, this woman, with whom she knew she would forever walk the same path for all time and beyond. And the earth continued to sing its morning song in celebration of life and the gifts these soul mates gave to each other with every rising and setting of the sun.