Disclaimers 1: Ephiny, Solari, Terreis, Melosa and Epinon all belong to Renaissance Pictures and MCA/Universal. No infringement is intended and no profit will be made.
Disclaimers 2: This set of stories are all mine although they do revolve around particular episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess. (For these stories Xena and Gabrielle have taken the supporting roles, no disrespect to the characters what-so-ever, but I felt like playing with the Amazons for a while.)
Authors Notes: This story takes place shortly after the events of the first season episode 'Is There A Doctor In The House?'
Posted: July 1999
Thanks: As always to Dean for letting me use the web-site.
Warning: This story is sub-text friendly, if this type of material offends you, or you are underage, or it is illegal where you live then the exit is the way you came in.
Any comments or mail to: masque.talonthorne@btinternet.com (And if you could let me know which story you’re talking about that would be cool, as I’ve started to lose track!)
Avator, forever thinking of you.
Before she opened her eyes Solari was aware of the weight that lay across her body; a shapely thigh rested over her hip, a slender arm curled around her waist and a head snuggled against her shoulder. Her eyes flickered open and settled on the mane of red hair so close to her face. Absently her hand began to lightly stroke the wavy locks and she pressed her lips against it, deeply inhaling Terreis's scent. The sleeping woman stirred and Solari gazed down into the deep blue of her lover's eyes. She knew she must have had a contented expression on her face when Terreis leaned up and kissed the end of her nose.
"Still thinking about me baby?" Terreis teased, but something about her words was serious.
"It never stops." Solari lifted her head, her lips desperate to claim Terreis's, but the fiery redhead pulled away.
"You have to," Terreis pressed her finger tips to Solari's lips as she tried to speak, "You have to let me go."
With that she disappeared once again.
"Don't leave me." Solari called out as she awoke, tears already falling from her eyes. This time there was no one to hold her and sooth her through the dreams of her dead lover, now she was alone, Ephiny was gone.
It had been six moons since Terreis had been killed and over four moons since Ephiny had married Phantes, fallen pregnant and left the village bound for Athens. She did not begrudge Ephiny her happiness; in fact it had been she who had convinced her friend to pursue the relationship with the Centaur telling her to take the chance on love. But she missed the blonde woman, in the two months after Terreis's death they had become good friends and Solari just missed having someone near her. It was shortly after Ephiny had left that the dreams of her dead lover had begun to plague her again.
"Open the gates!" The command to action broke through Solari's moment of reflection. Grabbing a pair of trousers, a loose fitting tunic and her boots she dressed quickly and headed outside to see what had caused the disturbance.
The village was only just coming to life and stood in the middle of it all was Eponin. The Queen's Guard continued to issue orders to the tribe as she moved towards the opening gates, "Chalappa, wake the Queen."
"Wake the Queen?" The young warrior asked, unsure whether it was wise to do such a thing.
"That was an order Chalappa, don't question it just follow it." Eponin stated and watched with amusement as the young girl ran to her task.
Shielding her eyes from the early morning sun Solari took in the scene before her. Entering the village was a dark haired warrior woman; she was leading a golden war-horse. A young woman with long blonde hair walked beside her, using a fighting staff as a walking stick; several dressings covered her small body marking her as having been in a fight. But the sight that stole and demanded Solari's attention was the blonde woman with the curly hair, "Ephiny!" she breathed as she hastened towards her struggling friend.
She was nearly to Ephiny when she heard Eponin's voice, her words stopping Solari in her tracks. "Your Majesty."
Your Majesty. Solari turned her gaze on the two travelers. The leather, the sword and the discus type weapon was a dead give away, the tall woman had to be Xena, the Warrior Princess, which meant that the small blonde was Gabrielle and the Amazon Princess. Suddenly it felt as though Solari's world had been ripped in two, torn between her loyalty to her friend and her duty to her Princess.
Eponin saw the moment of hesitation flicker over Solari's usually certain eyes, and made a decision, "Solari you see to Ephiny, I'll take care of the Princess."
With the decision made for her Solari continued towards Ephiny and reached out as the exhausted woman fell into her arms, "I've got you Ephiny, I've got you."
"I'm tired, I'm so tired." Now that she had reached the safety of her home and family she finally allowed the fatigue to wash over her and she slumped against her friend. Solari's strong arms cradled her and lifted her gently from the ground.
"I'm taking Ephiny to my cabin." Solari announced as she began to head in that direction. The weak hand against her chest and the mumbled words stopped her.
"My son…" Ephiny managed as she looked back towards the group.
Son. In all the commotion Solari had failed to notice that Ephiny was no longer pregnant. Turning slightly with Ephiny still in her arms Solari watched, astounded, as a baby Centaur boy appeared from beside the golden war-horse. He looked around timidly and began to step in the direction of his mother.
Eponin stared open mouthed at the sight; now she had another decision to make.
"Take the boy to his mother." Xena told her as she slid a protective arm around Gabrielle's waist, a gesture that said that she was more than capable of taking care of her best friend.
Eponin reached out a hand and was surprised when the infant took it and began following Ephiny and Solari. As she passed Melosa on the way out of her hut she merely shrugged and continued towards Solari's home.
The Queen walked towards her visitors and addressed Xena, "From this I can assume that Phantes…."
"Yes. He was killed in the Mitoan / Thessalian war. He died protecting Ephiny; the boy hadn't been born at the time." Xena felt Gabrielle become a dead weight against her side as the young woman finally gave into her exhaustion. "Melosa is there somewhere I can take Gabrielle? She needs to rest."
"Of course, you can use my chambers." Melosa indicated her own home. "Chalappa will take care of Argo for you." The young Amazon appeared and took the horses reigns and then led the palomino away.
Xena lifted Gabrielle into her arms, careful of the recent injuries and carried her inside the Queens hut.
* * *
With a gentleness that Ephiny had come to expect from her friend Solari laid Ephiny on the bed and pulled a blanket over her. Between them Solari and Eponin rigged up a makeshift cot for the boy and soon the little Centaur, unable to fight sleep any longer fell into slumber. Satisfied that he would be comfortable Eponin left the hut while Solari collected a jug of water and some fruit, then settled on the bed next to Ephiny.
Ephiny simply gazed at her sleeping son, a look of motherly pride on her face. For a moment Solari joined her, enchanted by the peace that the child had found as he slept. Solari turned and reached for Ephiny's hand, taking it between both of hers, "He's beautiful Ephiny," she swept her gaze from her friend to the tiny Centaur and could tell that he was going to have Ephiny's wild blonde curls, "What's his name?"
"Xenan," she murmured, desperately trying to fight the sleep that threatened to claim her, "I named him after Xena, he hadn't turned and Xena had to cut him from me." Ephiny winced as she remembered the blinding pain that had accompanied her labour and her son's birth.
There was a moment of silence that was finally broken by Ephiny's uncontrolled sob, "What am I going to do Solari? I can't stay here in the village with a male child, and I can't give him up, he's all I have to remember…."
She was sitting on a flat rock, her back against another, pitching stones into the nearby brook only a few feet away. Years of training, her senses attuned to her surroundings told her that someone was approaching her. A small smile twitched her lips, which she quickly concealed.
"Amazon harlot!" Came the insult as the newcomer emerged from the woodland and into the clearing where she sat waiting.
"Centaur scum!" She retaliated and glared over her shoulder at the half-man, half beast. A moment later her face broke into a huge grin as she stood to greet her new friend. "Hello Phantes."
"Ephiny." He replied, moving a little further into the clearing.
For a few moments a companionable silence settled over the two of them as they gazed towards the sky and the setting sun.
"Hey Amazon, wanna go for a ride?"
She remembered the first time that Phantes had asked her that question. It had been after the initial stages of peace had been forged between there people. That time they had been riding into battle, but this time they would be riding into something far different, "I'd love to."
Grasping Phantes forearm she swung up onto his back. "Hold on." Ephiny slid her arms around the human part of Phantes body and before long they were galloping along the bank of the brook, with the night closing in on them.
When Phantes finally came to a halt Ephiny dismounted and the silence descended upon them once again as they watched the moonlight reflecting off of the water. The silence was only broken this time by gestures; Phantes fingers stroking lightly over Ephiny's shoulders and arms. Those same fingers slid around her waist and pulled her closer. Phantes body was warm against her own, his lips against her neck and his whispered words close to her ear.
"Marry me Ephiny."
She spoke no answer, simply turned her head until her lips met his. In that Phantes found all the answer he needed.
Solari gently eased the crying woman into her embrace and held her close as her friend cried into her shoulder. She stroked Ephiny's hair and whispered to her, "No one is going to take Xenan away from you. We'll work something out, I promise you that Ephiny. I promise." The sobbing continued until Ephiny finally fell into an uneasy sleep.
She was reminded of a time when Ephiny had held her nearly every night after Terreis had died. She had chased away the bad dreams that had awakened her screaming and crying for the loss of her lover. She had refused to allow Solari to withdraw into herself and helped to keep her spirit alive when she thought it had died right along with Terreis.
Now it was her turn. She would be the strong one, the one who would be there whenever Ephiny would need her. She glanced down at Xenan, the child had already found a place in her heart, just like his mother. Placing a gentle kiss on the top of Ephiny's head she settled into her vigil of watching over the two people that she would now give her own life to protect.
* * *
When Ephiny awoke several hours later she found herself still wrapped tightly in Solari's embrace. She could feel movement on the bed that was not herself or Solari and when she looked down she discovered that Xenan was now on the bed too, sleeping with his head on Solari's lap. She looked up and met Solari's dark eyes; the dark haired Amazon gave a smile and continued to stroke the little Centaurs head.
After Terreis's death Ephiny had taken a vow to look after Solari and now it seemed that Solari had made that same vow to her dead lover to take care of Ephiny and her son. Both Ephiny and Solari knew that they had shared strong bonds to Terreis, and though their vows had been made to her, their promises to one another were as a result of the bond that was growing between the two of them.
* * * * *
There you have it. Hope you enjoyed it. Now reply to it.