Ephiny stopped at the edge of the practice area, and watched Eponin put Gabrielle through a pretty tough kata routine. She raised her eyebrow as every single swipe from the weaponmaster was blocked and returned by the little blonde. The captain watched in amazement as Gabrielle improvised and reversed her motion, effectually taking Pony's legs out from under her. She stepped onto the field as Gabrielle was muttering apologies to her teacher and approached her. "Princess.."

Gabrielle had just stood up and was helping the scowling weaponmaster to her feet. Hearing Ephiny's voice, she turned to greet her....and was shocked at what she saw. The captain was in full uniform! Her armor shined in the bright sunlight, giving her an almost glowing aura to her already dynamic personality. She didn't even know about the smile that had made it's way onto her face. "Ephiny! Hi! I was wondering where you were!"

Ephiny stopped before Gabrielle and bowed. "I had to be presentable if I am going to be escorting the princess." She stood and gave the bard a sly half-smile.

Eponin chuckled and shook her head. "I think I'll just be heading on over to the bathing hut now...." she said between giggles as she slipped away practically unnoticed.

"Ummm yeah...see you later Pony..." replied Ephiny, while waving to no one. Her eyes were firmly attached to some quite mesmerizing green ones at that moment. Suddenly she remembered why she was there, and shook her head to clear it out.

Gabrielle couldn't take her eyes off those hazel ones either. She was now in firm belief that Eponin had been right, that Ephiny might really have a thing for her after all. 'Well let's just be sure...' she thought to herself. "So..." she said.

Ephiny finally seemed to shake herself clear of her wayward thoughts as the bard's voice got through to her. "Ahem...yes. Ummmm, I believe I was going to show you around our land?" she said, glancing around nervously.

"Yes you were." replied the bard with a shy grin. "Shall we then?"

Ephiny looked at the small blonde and smiled back. Holding out her arm to the bard she said, "With pleasure Gabrielle."

Gabrielle slipped her arm through Ephiny's and they set out across the courtyard towards the city gates.



------------------------------------------



"So where did Xena go earlier?" inquired Ephiny as they trekked up a rise.

Gabrielle glanced at her companion. "She went to have a talk with Tyldus."

Ephiny's head whipped around in shock. "Tyldus???" she swallowed. "Is she crazy? He'll kill her on sight!"

Gabrielle had to giggle at this. "Ephiny...when you hang around Xena as much as I have, you come to accept some things." She smiled. "One...If Xena says she'll be back, she'll be back. Two....if Xena says don't worry about her, you don't worry about her." The bard stopped walking and turned to her new friend. She leaned over as if in confidence and whispered..."But I've learned you just don't let her know you worry anyways." She grinned and started walking again.

Ephiny's brow furled at this seemingly revealing information the bard had uttered. 'Hmmmm, she worries about that warrior huh?' She decided it was time to be a little more forward. "Speaking of Xena my Princess...."

"What about her?" replied the bard, a bit suprised at this new turn in the conversation.

Ephiny made sure there was a definite hint of innuendo in her next chosen words...."Might I inquire if I could be in any danger from her?"

"Danger?" Gabrielle was a bit suprised. "From Xena?"

"Yes."

"Why would you be in danger from Xena?" She cocked her head a bit.

Ephiny threw her arms up in the air. "Gabrielle! Are you kidding me? If I'm stepping on Xena's toes with you, you had better tell me now before I'm one dead amazon!"

"Stepping on her toes?" Gabrielle's brow furrowed in thought. "OH!" She began giggling.

Ephiny gave the bard a look of complete exhasperation. "How can you laugh at something as serious as that?" Honestly, maybe she had the blonde pegged wrong all along!

"I'm sorry..." replied the bard as her giggles died down. "I guess I just didn't expect that!"

"Huh?" replied the captain. "Maybe I'm missing something here..." Ephiny looked directly into those green eyes. "Aren't you and Xena lovers?"

Astonishment lit Gabrielle's face. Then she burst out laughing....so hard in fact that Ephiny thought the bard was going to bust a gut. "Wait...you're not?"

"NO! No!" Gabrielle was trying to control her giggles while she spoke. "Whatever gave you that idea?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"It's not just my idea Gabrielle..." Ephiny shrugged. "Everyone thinks that. You travel together, you do everything together...and I myself have seen the way she looks at you when you aren't aware..." With this the captain turned her eyes away.

"She most certainly does not!" laughed the bard. "She doesn't even know I'm alive!" She looked over at her friend, and her tone became serious. "You, on the other hand, seem to see me..."

Ephiny let their eyes meet again, and boy she couldn't deny it anymore! She was a goner...a hopeless case....mere putty as she stood before this woman. "I see you Gabrielle." she said allowing her emotions give her voice. "I see you..." she repeated as she took a step closer to the bard.

Gabrielle had only a minute to realize that this was "it". She was finally going to know what it was like to kiss a woman! She had fantasized so many times about Xena kissing her, but the warrior had always ignored her advances, or pretended not to notice them. Now here was a beautiful amazon warrior standing before her, practically begging to do just that. "Kiss me Ephiny."

"Are you sure?" whispered the captain as she moved closer, running her fingers along the bard's cheek.

"Yes." she whispered back.

Ephiny ran her fingers up along Gabrielle's neck and into the tangle of blonde locks that fell gracefully about her shoulders. She sighed. "You're so beautifull Gabrielle..." she ducked her head in to brush her lips across the bard's own. "Xena has to be crazy not to want you..." Their lips met softly and Ephiny was suprised to find herself being kissed back so readily. Sparks seemed to jump between them, and she felt a long-forgotten fire begin to burn inside of her. She deepened the kiss, and the fire burned hotter. 'Oh my gods!' she thought as she let the feeling carry her. Air...air! Wait! She pulled back, and was suprised to hear an almost inaudible whimper from the bard. She couldn't speak....she couldn't move.

"Well." said the bard. "That was certainly something Ephiny." She began to fan herself. "I thought this was the eve of the tenth moon cycle, not the seventh!"

Ephiny ran her hand under the bard's chin. "It is." She smiled. "So you felt it too?"

"Gods yes!" She wrapped her arms around Ephiny's waist and drew her close again. "It felt very good."

The captain smiled. "So does this mean I get a second date?"

Gabrielle slapped her companion in the stomach as she pushed her away. Looking up at the sky she proclaimed..."It's getting a bit late. We had better be making our way back Captain." She cast a sly smile Ephiny's way, turned, and headed back the way they had come.

Ephiny just stood there for a second before she had to hurry to catch up to the bard. "Wait! Gabrielle!...I do get a second date don't I?"

---Scene fades on the shot of Ephiny waving her arm and trying to catch up to Gabrielle---
Next Part

Return to Main Page