Hidden Thoughts

The campfire crackled merrily, the spitted carcass of some forest creature dripped fat into the fire, the tree tops swayed with a gentle breeze and the two women kept sneaking looks at each other.

Xena sat on a log, drawing the whetstone along her sword for the hundredth time. She had been sitting there for over a candle mark watching the bard with thoughts going through her head decidedly not of the warrior type. Each swipe down the blade became a thought of slowly drawing her hand down firm legs, each swipe of the sword was a stroke of the smooth skin on the bard's back. 'Well,' she thought 'At least we got past that bathing in our shifts part'. Xena twirled her sword around and slid it away.

"I'm going to check on Argo," was all she could get out as she quickly jumped up and headed away before the flush showed too much. The idea of Gabrielle in the water with her was bad enough, actually the wet shifts were bad enough. Xena had managed to convince Gabrielle the shifts were more trouble than their worth, when her whole motivation for that was if she had to look at Gabrielle in that wet shift any longer she would have done something she regretted a lot sooner. The way the wet shift clung to the young firm body was in a way more revealing and erotic than concealing. Xena had to control herself many times from touching the bard more than necessary.

Gabrielle glanced up as Xena left the campsite, watching the smooth sensual grace as the warrior headed out. Gabrielle was writing in her scroll again, having decidedly bardic thoughts. When the bard started jotting down her thoughts in the beginning of her travels with Xena, she was full of heroic ideas. Lately she had been thinking of something else. A strong body with a natural grace that was breathtaking. A beautiful face that stopped thugs and bards in their tracks. A heart strong enough to accept the need to change. Hands that could kill or bring comfort in the blink of an eye. 'Comfort? Is that what I really want or am thinking about? I'll bet there is lots of pleasure those hands could bring.' Gabrielle mused, nibbling on the quill.

The warrior stalked around the campsite trying to still the thoughts swirling in her head. Bouncing between wet shifts and naked bards, she growled and shook her head. What was she doing, letting her mind drift like that? That kind of distraction had set the future for her. Looking at those green eyes, holding her captive until the thugs managed to get a club through her defenses with a hit on the back of her head. She headed back to the campsite and over to her horse. She picked up the brush and started on Argo's tail. Again her thoughts wandered, brushing the horse's tail turned into brushing the young blonde's hair back, stroking the long tresses as the girl slept, running the soft gold silken threads through her fingers?Xena came out of her daydream when Argo snorted and twitched her tail. "Sorry girl," she muttered, putting the brush away and going back to the fire.

Gabrielle glanced up with a smile as Xena came back and sat down. The meat was done, the dinner parceled out and eaten in silence. Xena found herself watching Gabrielle's food more than her own, watching it go from the plate, brushing past lips, landing on a tongue that needed kissing... 'WHAT???' Xena shook her head and rubbed her eyes. 'Where had that come from?' She looked down at her food and realized she had not touched it. Keeping her eyes down, she finally was able to eat a little, but it all tasted like wood chips.

Gabrielle saw Xena shake her head and wondered if the dinner wasn't tasting right. Usually Xena would comment on the food, but tonight it seemed that all she was doing was pushing it around.

"Is the food alright?" Gabrielle asked reaching out to take the plate. Their fingers touched and Xena jerked her hand back.

"Uh yeah, everything's fine, I uh I guess I'm just not that hungry," Xena managed to stammer out, rubbing fingers together out of view. 'At least not for food,' she thought.

"Ok, I'll just clean up," Gabrielle said and headed out to the stream. She looked at the food left and started to become concerned. Xena ate pretty much anything, tonight nothing. 'I'll just check for a fever when I get back,' Gabrielle decided, washing the plates and covering the leftovers in the hole for refuse.

Xena sat at the fire with her head in her hands. What was happening to her? All she could do lately was watch her companion and the images that were passing through her mind's eye were driving her crazy. 'I've been with so many different lovers, none have done this to me. We're not even lovers; I can't image what I would be like if we were. Actually I can imagine?,' and she started imagining again wet shifts, tongues and long silky hair.

"Well, that's all cleaned up. Xena are you ok? You've been acting very distracted all day." Gabrielle said walking to the saddle bags to stow the utensils. "I think you might be coming down with something," she said as she walked back over to Xena and laid her palm on the warrior's forehead and cheek. Xena closed her eyes and tried to calm the trembling in her hands. She almost couldn't hear Gabrielle over the pounding of her heart. Xena leaned into the palm on her cheek and gently took the hand on her forehead down.

"Nothing's wrong that a good night's sleep won't cure," she managed to whisper holding the hand a little longer that usual. She found her thumb circling on the back of Gabrielle's hand and stopped. Gabrielle stood stock still, the waves of electricity from the contact jolted a spot in her stomach and started an ache lower. Could Xena want the same thing? She looked up from their hands and saw in Xena's eyes a darker vibrant blue she had never seen before. She found the hand on Xena's cheek was moving of it's own volition down to the jawline and lifting her chin. It slid around to the back of Xena's neck, feeling the pulse jump.

"A good night's sleep, huh? Is that what you really want?" Gabrielle asked with in a husky whisper. She slid her fingers though the dark silky strands and spread the strands over her shoulder. "I don't think I've ever told you that I think your hair is one of the softest things I've ever felt, have I?"

Xena could only shake her head; she was mesmerized by the beauty that was standing in front of her, the firelight dancing off the tanned and tight body. There were sparks dancing in Gabrielle's eyes from the fire, sparks that lit a smoldering fire deep in Xena's gut.

"Are you saying no to a good night's sleep or no to the fact that I've never told you how soft your hair is?" Gabrielle asked holding Xena's hand and placing it on her waist. Xena tried to pull away but Gabrielle wouldn't let go.

"No my warrior, we need to get something straight here. If we want to keep traveling together, I can't have you keeping secrets from me. I need to know everything that is going on in your mind, every little detail."

While Gabrielle had been saying this, she had been sliding her hand along Xena's forearm, stroking the sensitive spot inside her elbow. Xena closed her eyes, trying to slow her pounding heart. The bard was taking her places she only dreamed of, places that she dreamed of taking the bard.

"What are you scared of warrior? A little peasant girl from a little sleepy sheep village?" Gabrielle murmured slowly, leaning towards the taller woman. Xena was totally in Gabrielle's spell, she couldn't have moved a muscle even if a hundred thugs attacked.

"You know, when I unroll a new scroll and spread it out, I like to think that I'm sliding your leathers off." With that Gabrielle reached out to Xena's shoulders and slid the straps down.

"When I am nibbling on my quill, I think about nibbling on your neck," and Gabrielle proceeded to do just that, leaning into Xena's neck and kissing the soft skin under her ear. Xena's sharp intake of air set Gabrielle to giggling.

"Oh, what was that? A reaction from the dark and stoic Warrior Princess? What would happen if I told you when I watch you fight, I can feel the battle lust pouring off you and want to take you right then and there? Never mind the thousand thugs we're fighting against or the Amazons that would love to watch." Gabrielle had made her way down Xena's neck to her collar bone with small nips of the skin. Xena leaned her head back and a soft moan escaped from clenched teeth.

Gabrielle reached behind the warrior and started to unlace the leather. Xena couldn't move if she had been standing she was sure her knees would have buckled by now. Xena could feel Gabrielle caress her shoulder with kisses as she made her way behind to help remove the clothes that were impeding Gabrielle's exploration. Gabrielle spread the leather apart from the back and ran her fingertips down Xena's back, tracing her backbone. Goosebumps rose instantly, the warrior couldn't help but shudder with the pleasure and the passion she felt emanate from the bard. Where had Gabrielle learned the art of seduction? That was a question Xena had to ask later. For now she was lucky to keep her mind in the here and now.

"When I tend the fire, I can see myself fanning the flame of desire and needs in your soul. I can almost see the trails of fire I leave on your skin. I can feel the heat build up between us," Gabrielle purred from behind Xena. She had the leathers unlaced and slipped her hands inside, drawing fingertips up Xena's sides. Xena could feel the body heat from Gabrielle that soaked into her back. Gabrielle spread her fingers out and started to rub circles on Xena's back, massaging muscles that jumped from the contact. When she got to the top of Xena's back, Gabrielle pressed her fingernails into the skin and lightly drew trails down her back. Xena arched back and gasped from the light scratching she felt.

"Oh Gods Gabrielle!! Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?" Xena rasped out as Gabrielle nuzzled the back of Xena's neck.

"Oh I know exactly what I am doing to you. Since you won't act on your wants, I will have to show you what you have been missing these last few years. Xena I have loved you from the first time I saw you. The need for your body was soon after, I didn't want to act on my selfish needs until I knew you felt the same." Gabrielle said with a smile as she reached around Xena's stomach and slid her hands up to gently cup Xena's breasts. Xena arched back into Gabrielle, pressing back to feel the bard's body against her. Gabrielle drew her lover into the embrace and ran thumbs over taut nipples. Xena cried out and almost climaxed right then.

"Oh no you don't, my over excited Warrior Princess. We have all night and I intend to spend it all loving you." Gabrielle said with an extremely satisfied smile and started to kiss the back of Xena's neck and finish undressing her Warrior Princess.

The end.

Janine Hilltop
July 2007
Janine_hilltop@yahoo.com