Chapter Six

Xena gazed down at her sleeping partner. Thanks to a slightly too high dose of herbs, the warrior couldn't remember exactly how they had wound up naked together sharing a bedroll, but she had to admit it was a pleasant way to wake up. Gabrielle was nestled very nicely against her, the bard's head on her shoulder with a hand resting across her belly, their hips and thighs touching lightly. Oh yes, very nice. Could get used to this. Her smile widened. Gods, I just hope I have plenty of chances…
 
The rain had stopped in the night, and the sun was just getting ready to rise. In the dim light Xena took her time taking in every detail of Gabrielle's sleeping face. By the gods you're beautiful. The warrior chuckled to herself, remembering when Gabrielle had said those words to her while the bard had been drugged with henbane. How long ago? Seems like a thousand years.
 
So much had changed since then. The warrior's heart warmed at the memory of Gabrielle standing toe to toe with Androphus and not giving an inch - no matter her bard barely came up to the level of his chest. The little girl who had followed her from some nameless village and needed constant rescuing had grown before her eyes into a strong, confident young woman - a woman who could beat the stuffing out of a platoon of raiders, argue a god out of his boots, and still have the energy left to hold a room spellbound with her tales at the end of the day.
 
And in that time she had also managed to grow around one ex-warlord's stony heart. "I love you Gabrielle," she said, quietly, just to hear herself say the words. She looked at the pleasantly sleeping face once again, stroking it gently. "And by the gods, you are beautiful."
 
The smaller woman began to stir, then slightly opened her eyes. Her face broke into a dreamy grin. "Mmm, hi…"
 
"Morning," Xena replied, smiling back. "Sleep all right?"
 
"Yeah…" The bard closed her eyes again and nuzzled her head against Xena's shoulder. "Slept wonderful…"
 
"Me too."
 
Gabrielle snorted sleepily. "You would … you were kinda doped up…"
 
The warrior smiled. "So, did you take advantage of me in my drugged condition?"
 
The bard shook her head, her red-gold hair inadvertently brushing across Xena's breast. "Nahh … course not…"
 
Xena's smile broadened wickedly. "Then how come we're both naked?"
 
Gabrielle's head snapped up. "Oh gods - we are aren't we?" She sat abruptly, uncovering them both. "Um, well, see, here's what happened -"
 
"Xena! You'd better come hear this!" Meleager called out as he poked his head inside the tent.
 
He blinked. "Uhhh … aw Hades." Then he was gone.
 
"Hrrr, yah … well!" he blustered loudly from outside the tent. "I'm uh … I was just passing by somebody's tent here on my way over to where uh, the horses are tethered I guess … Got something real important to say to Xena and … Wow, I um, I just hope she happens on by in a couple of minutes or so … Oh yeah … Just headin' straight there…" he babbled as he walked away.
 
Gabrielle turned bright, absolute, beet red from head to toe just before she groaned and pulled the blankets completely over herself and curled into a tight ball. Xena pressed her hands over her face and tried desperately to hold back the screaming fit of giggles that threatened to burst out any moment - if not for the bard's sake, then for the sake of her own tender ribs.
 
Finally Xena got herself under control, then sat up and ran her hand over the fur-covered bundle beside her. "Come on my little nymph," she teased. "Looks like the real world needs us again."
 
"I'm not going anywhere," came the muffled response. "I'm staying right here until I sink into the ground!"
 
"Gabrielle…" Xena smiled warmly and embraced the lump as best she could. "All right, stay there until that cute blush of yours wears off. But we do have to get going sometime - we still have a job to do. Remember all that talk about the greater good?"
 
"That counts for being poisoned - not embarrassed to death!" The bard groaned.
 
"All right," Xena said, giving her a last squeeze and moving towards her leathers, "but I'm getting up."
 
Gabrielle gave another muffled groan and didn't move or speak further as Xena quickly and efficiently donned her leathers, armor and boots, turning to the lump as she made her way out. "Stay there as long as you want," she teased, pausing before the front flaps, "but try to get up before they pack the tent with you in it, all right?" There was a slight shifting and another groan from under the fur as Gabrielle nodded slightly. Xena grinned, then said quietly, "And as far as I'm concerned you have nothing to be embarrassed about - you're beautiful … and I love every inch of you."
 
With that, the bard's pale - though still blushing - face poked out from beneath the furs, bearing a wide, if sheepish, grin. "Meet you for breakfast then?"
 
"Deal," the warrior replied, smiling at her love one last time before stepping outside. She briefly checked on Argo, noting how her saddle had been carefully set over a nearby tree branch. Still smiling, she moved it to a patch of sunshine to dry, then gave the horse an affectionate pat on the neck. "Always looking out for us, isn't she girl?" Argo nickered in agreement.
 
Xena found her way to where the rest of the horses had been tethered. Meleager was giving Melampus a nominal brushing. "Morning," he said without looking at her, obviously trying to suppress a grin. "Guess your injuries aren't that bad … I uh, saw the, you know, bandages."
 
Xena casually leaned back against a tree. "I'll be fine," she said, "and next time, try knocking first."
 
Meleager's head dropped as he blushed. "Sorry about that. Didn't think … Guess after all the grinning you were doing yesterday, should have put two and two together." He turned to her, smiling. "I'm happy for you though - both of you. Gabrielle … she's pretty special."
 
"Yes," Xena replied evenly, unable to suppress a slight smile, "she is." She pulled away from the tree. "Now," she said with a more serious note, "what's so important you had to roust me out of bed?"
 
"Oh, yeah, that," he replied, tucking the brush into his saddlebag, "a couple of the scouts came back about a half-hour ago - with a prisoner. Come on, it's easier if they tell you…"
 
The camp was full of activity as they walked. Many more tents than usual had been set up because of the rain, and were all being taken down and stowed. Soon the two of them reached the spot where a pair of clearly exhausted Amazon scouts were seated on the end of one of the wagons. A couple of Lilith's followers had just brought them each a steaming mug of tea, which they gratefully accepted. On the ground was a bound, armored man, who snored fitfully.
 
"Tanith, Adrea," Xena nodded to the scouts. "What's the story?"
 
Tanith gulped down a swallow of tea and took a breath. "Well, we scouted ahead until nightfall, then started looking for shelter from the storm - came across a small inn and decided to stay there. There were no rooms left, so we just took a seat in the tavern, got some food. That was when Adrea noticed the men at one of the tables…"
 
"They wore the insignia of the scouts we came across outside Amazonia," Adrea finished, "the ones with messengers. The three of them were pretty drunk, and kept babbling about 'whores' and making jokes - didn't take long before it was clear they were talking about Lilith and the rest. Innkeeper said they'd been asking every traveler who came in if they'd seen our caravan. The two of us, um … well, we enticed them outside, then knocked them out."
 
Tanith spoke. "We questioned them a little, but they were drunk and angry and we didn't get much out of them except that they're part of a large force."
 
"How large?" Xena asked.
 
"They wouldn't tell us," Adrea answered. "It pretty much slipped out by accident. After that they clammed up. That was when we decided to bring this one back, right away - he seemed in charge. We rode all night."
 
"And the other two?" Xena asked.
 
Tanith gave a grim half smile. "We hid the bodies well off the trail. My call. Couldn't bring all three and couldn't risk letting any of them go." She sighed, shrugged. "It was quick."
 
Xena just nodded. "All right. Good work. Get some rest. Now, let's get him awake and see what he knows…"