The pale, silvery light from the full moon filtered down through the leafy tree branches and illuminated the forest floor. The two women tread carefully to avoid snapping the dry twigs underfoot. As they neared the edge of the forest, the taller woman stopped and held up her hand. Her companion froze obediently. After a momentary silence, the smaller woman spoke in a hushed tone.

"Do you see something?"

The tall, leather-clad warrior shook her head. "No. Just making sure everything's clear," she said curtly.

Outside the last village they had passed, the farmers had told them stories about a vicious animal that had been killing their livestock. The animal struck with the speed and cunning of a wolf, they said, yet it left behind no tracks. The women had traveled cautiously ever since, especially at night. In spite of their wary eyes, they had seen no evidence of the creature that the farmers had described.

"Stay close," Xena whispered as they left the forest's cover and entered the clearing.

A field of tall grass stretched out before them. In the distance, the candlelight from a small farmhouse winked at them. Sheep milled about in a wooden pen. Suddenly, a rustle ahead of them stopped the two women in their tracks.

"Don't move," Xena said, with her usual economy of language.

Her hand dropped to the chakram at her side, and every muscle tensed as she moved forward slowly.

"Stay here, Gabrielle," she whispered back over her shoulder. "I'll check it out."

Gabrielle waited until she was sure her partner was out of earshot.

"Don't mind me, Xena," she muttered under her breath. "I'll just wait here for the big, bad wolf to come and eat me."

The cool night breeze strengthened, and she shivered. She rubbed her bare arms and once again wished that she had an outfit that included sleeves. Absently, she twirled her trusty staff between her palms, feeling the spots where the years of handling had polished the wood smooth.

An unearthly howl shattered the silence and made the hair on the back of Gabrielle's neck stand at attention. The sheep began to bleat and cry in panic and distress. Gabrielle's heart pounded wildly and she tightened her grip on her staff. She scanned the moonlit clearing around her, but saw nothing. Where was Xena, she wondered.

The same chilling howl ripped through the air again. This time, the sound seemed to come from Gabrielle's left. Steeling herself, she turned to face it. Though she couldn't see anything, she could sense that something was stalking her through the tall grass. She didn't dare call out for Xena. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she braced herself for a fight.

Behind her, Xena's battle cry rang out, startling her. She watched, speechless, as two shadowy shapes hurtled towards each other. She recognized her partner's unmistakable silhouette. Gabrielle squinted at the other shadow. It looked like a large wolf, but for a split second, she wasn't so sure. Perhaps the moonlight was playing tricks on her eyes, but for moment, Gabrielle thought that the other shadow almost looked like a man.

Finally, the wolf-creature yelped in pain and dropped to the ground. Gabrielle moved forward, covering half the distance between herself and Xena. She stopped and waited when Xena motioned her back. Xena came towards her, clutching her left arm and scowling darkly.

"Xena, you're bleeding!" Gabrielle rushed to her partner's side and examined the deep gouges on Xena's upper arm.

Xena shrugged. "Got scratched," she said.

Gabrielle shook her head as she rummaged through her pack. She found a long strip of clean linen and used it to bandage Xena's arm.

"Was it a wolf?" she asked without looking up.

Xena nodded. "Yeah. A big one, too." She eyed Gabrielle suspiciously. "Didn't you see it?"

Gabrielle looked at Xena and hesitated. She thought she saw an odd gleam in the warrior's eye. She wanted to tell Xena what she thought she had seen, but the strange look on her partner's face warned her against it. She merely shook her head again.

"Couldn't see it," she lied. She deftly changed the subject. "We need to boil some hot water and clean those wounds before they get infected."

Xena rolled her eyes. "It's just a scratch, Gabrielle."

"You won't be saying that when I have to amputate your arm," Gabrielle chided her lightly.

Xena sighed but said nothing. She had learned long ago that arguing with Gabrielle was pointless. The bard could always talk circles around her, and Xena was in no mood for a tiresome debate. She pointed to a grove of trees beyond the small farmhouse.

"Come on," Xena said. "I'm tired and that looks like a good place to rest for the night."

They took a wide berth around the farmhouse, staying close to the outer edge of the sheep pen. The animals stirred in fright as they passed, and Gabrielle assumed that they were still distressed from their close encounter with the wolf. They carefully threaded their way through the dense trees and stopped in the center of the grove. Gabrielle began to clear a space for a small fire while Xena paced restlessly beneath the canopy of trees.

"I'm hungry," Xena growled.

Gabrielle tossed her pack to the agitated warrior. "I think there's still some bread and cheese left," she said.

"Don't we have any meat?" Xena asked.

"No. We finished the last of that rabbit a week ago, remember?"

Xena grunted in response. "I want meat. I'm going hunting."

Gabrielle sighed as she watched Xena lope off into the darkness. She was used to the warrior's sudden mood changes. While Xena was gone, she built a fire and unpacked their bedrolls. She sat, huddled in front of the flames, waiting for her partner to return with dinner.

From far off, another faint howl sounded in the night. Gabrielle shuddered. She couldn't shake the feeling that there had been something strange about the wolf in the clearing. Alone in the dark, she let her mind wander and she found herself remembering old wives' tales that she had heard as a child. She recalled one story in particular --- a tale about a creature that was half-man and half-wolf. She shuddered again.

"Quit being ridiculous," she told herself.

"Who's being ridiculous?"

Xena's voice startled her and she jumped. Gabrielle frowned. Although Xena was adept at concealing her presence, the warrior wasn't usually so stealthy when it was just the two of them.

"I was just scaring myself with some silly old stories," Gabrielle explained as Xena returned, carrying a rabbit by the ears.

"Really? What kind of stories?" Xena asked as she squatted down on her haunches and began to clean her prey.

Gabrielle laughed nervously. She noticed the same odd gleam in Xena's eyes, and involuntarily, her gaze dropped to the bloody scratches on the warrior's arm.
"Werewolves," she replied.

"You don't believe in werewolves, do you?"

Xena was grinning at her with her head cocked to one side. It gave her a decidedly wolf-like appearance, Gabrielle thought. She forced the idea from her mind. Xena was not a werewolf. It wasn't possible. She laughed nervously again.

"Of course not," she said.

She watched as Xena stuck the scrawny rabbit on a spit and began to cook it. The ravenous, almost predatory look in the warrior's eyes made Gabrielle uncomfortable, and she started to examine Xena more closely. As the fat from the rabbit dripped and sizzled in the fire and the scent of roasting meat filled the air, Xena's nose twitched and she licked her lips hungrily.

'It has been a long time since we had any meat,' Gabrielle reminded herself. 'Maybe she's just hungry.' She returned to her silent contemplation of her partner. Suddenly, she noticed something that made her suck in a sharp, surprised breath.

Xena's sharp ears picked up the sound and she looked at Gabrielle expectantly.

"Something wrong, Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle turned away and pretended to flick something off her bedroll. She didn't want Xena to see the look on her face.

"It's nothing," she said. "There was a spider."

Xena's wolfish grin widened, but she said nothing. Once the warrior's attention was focused on her dinner again, Gabrielle snuck another look at her partner. She eyed the dark hair sprouting from the warrior's legs. In spite of herself, she shivered.

Was it possible, she wondered? Could Xena really be turning into a werewolf? Would a transformation happen so quickly? 'Stop it, Gabrielle,' she scolded herself. 'Xena is not a werewolf.'

Even if Xena did turn, would it matter, she wondered. She doubted that Xena would ever intentionally hurt her, werewolf or not. And after all, there were always a few days out of every month that neither one of them was much fun to be around, anyway. She loved Xena, and she knew that Xena loved her. Wasn't that all that mattered?

"Gabrielle?" Xena drawled in that dangerously seductive voice that Gabrielle loved so much.

"Yes, Xena?"

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Xena asked.

Gabrielle winced. "Sorry. I didn't realize I was talking out loud."

"Want to tell me what's bothering you?" Xena prompted her.

Gabrielle hesitated. Finally, she took a deep breath and launched into an explanation, starting with the strange shape she thought she'd seen in the clearing. When she was finished, she waited for Xena's reaction. Xena stared at her in silent incredulity for a long moment. Then, she threw back her head and laughed.

"You think I'm turning into a werewolf?" Xena asked, once she had caught her breath.

Gabrielle could feel the blush creeping up her neck. "Well, you were giving me all those strange looks."

"I've never given you strange looks before?" Xena questioned her, still chuckling.

Gabrielle thought about that. Actually, Xena gave her strange looks all the time. In fact, the warrior princess was the queen of strange, inscrutable looks. Gabrielle was beginning to feel sillier by the minute.

"And there was your sudden craving for meat," Gabrielle pointed out defensively.

"I was hungry," Xena replied matter-of-factly.

Gabrielle threw up her hands in exasperation. She knew that she was being ridiculous, but she could never give up on a good argument. She was almost laughing, herself, when she pointed at Xena's legs.

"What about that?" she demanded.

Xena looked down at her legs, confused. Once she realized what Gabrielle was referring to, she glared at the bard with an expression of mock-disgust.

"So, I haven't shaved my legs in a few days," she said, pretending to be aggravated. "Does that make me a werewolf?"

Gabrielle's blush deepened and she gave Xena a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, Xena. I don't know what I was thinking."

Xena's expression softened. Then, as Gabrielle watched, one dark eyebrow lifted seductively and the corners of the warrior's mouth tugged upward in a sultry grin. Gabrielle knew that look, and she could feel the desire stirring in her own body.

"You know, Xena, your teeth do look a lot bigger and pointier tonight," she teased.

Xena chuckled, a sound that sent jolts of lightning coursing through Gabrielle. She slowly began to stalk towards her prey.

"All the better to eat you with, my dear."


The End