Violence Warning/Disclaimer: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their aftermath. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something other than this story.

Violence Warning/Disclaimer: This story depicts scenes of extreme violence and/or their aftermath. Readers who are disturbed by or sensitive to this type of depiction may wish to read something other than this story.

Love/Sex Warning/Disclaimer: This story depicts a love/sexual relationship between two consenting adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may wish to read something other than this story.

Poetic License/Disclaimer: Eve never attacked the Amazons and so they are still a thriving nation.

I'LL BE USING THIS LISCENSE QUITE A BIT.

THANK YOU: to Sinjen Kai and the rest of my Family at the BardicCircle For betaing and

Their encouragement.

Moon7U@aol.com © 2000 and 2001 all comments welcomed

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Part 1

Gabrielle drew in a deep shuddering breath and grimaced at the pain that sliced through her chest. She was acutely aware of her dangerously high fever. It had punctuated its presence with cold sweats one moment and shiver provoking chills the next. The brain-splintering headache made it hard for her to press on. Her legs had grown weak with fatigue and felt rubbery beneath her. However, she stumbled along with the aid of a fallen tree limb that she had fashioned into a makeshift staff.

She pressed on through the thick growth of wildly spread foliage, following tracks that appeared purposely left for her. She knew it was an insane idea, tracking some animal that seemed to want her to follow it . . . Absurd really. But by now the Battling Bard had learned that where a certain Warrior Princess was concerned, nothing was too farfetched or absurd to be believed. She glanced around, taking in the foreign plant life about her.

When the Bard had first arrived in the strange land, she had been completely taken by the magical beauty of its jungle. Everything was so alive and vibrant, that she thought she could feel the very pulse of the land beneath her feet. There were plants of the deepest green she had ever seen. Flowers of colors that even the well-learned bard could not name. There were animals never before seen by her eyes, both tiny and huge. This strange land kept her in constant awe of its majestic beauty.

Gabrielle was hard pressed to curb her natural curiosity. Several times she'd had to remind herself not touch or sniff a particularly lovely blossom. The Captain of the ship that had provided her transport had warned her of the many dangers of the place.

"You must always remember, that in this place, danger has a way of lying gently in your path." His sea gruff voice had been gentle and his weather beaten face softened with concern. "The most important thing to remember, if you are going to survive in this hell," he had pinned her with a meaningful stare, "Is that the more beautiful a thing is, the more deadly it is. You could die from touching a small beautifully colored frog or inhaling the scent of a flower painted the deepest purple you've ever seen." He had tried to change her mind about staying, offering to forfeit the fee for a return trip to Greece. When that had failed, he gave her more useful tips about animals that camouflaged themselves to blend in with a piece of wood or grass. He'd expressed the dangers of travelling too often in the open and flat plains, danger from predators as well as from the heat of the sun. "The sun is closer to the land here. I've seen people burn and blister after being out under its heat for just a few hours."

It had all been sound advice. Gabrielle had heard several such stories whenever she had mentioned where she was travelling too. The popular consensus was that she was crazy to make such a journey alone, and that on her own, she would not survive a day.

Well, it's been a week. She smiled weakly at the thought. I'm still alive . . . barely.

Gabrielle coughed and took in another shuddering breath. She'd been attack by a huge cat, one she'd recognized from the Roman arenas. A lion. Except for the wounds on her shoulder, all and all she hadn't fared too badly. The lion had either grown tired of playing with her or had decided it didn't want dinner badly enough to sustain another stab of Gabrielle's Sais. The bard had never before been so grateful at having given up the staff.

Her lungs burned. She knew her body was in shock from the sudden climate change as well as the lengths she'd been pushing it. She stopped for a moment and removed her pack from her back, retrieving from it one of the many canteens of water she had brought along. She took a few sips, then returned it to the pack that she guarded as though it were a sacred object. That pack held all that was left of her life with Xena. A soft sobbed escaped her throat as she caressed the sun-beaten pack with affection and longing. Her scrolls, Argo's brush, Xena's Chakram, one of the warrior's arm bracers, and that stupid frying pan she'd traded the warrior princess' whip for: they were all of the possessions Gabrielle had been able to stuff into the pack and still have enough room for food and water. And still the pack weighed her down. She brought the pack up to her cheek and released a soulful moan.

The men that had witnessed the warrior's fall, (well those men, poachers, had actually pushed Xena over the cliff), had not been able to recover Xena's sword, only the Chakram that had embedded itself in a tree.

It had been pure chance that Gabrielle had stumbled upon the poachers. She had been called to Corinth by the Amazons to negotiate a new trade agreement. Xena had received an urgent summons to Egypt by Cleo's successor. They had parted believing that Xena would meet up with the Bard in Corinth by the next moon.

Gabrielle had grown worried when after two weeks of Xena's delayed return, there'd still been no sign of the warrior. She had been on her way out of the city determined to find transport to Egypt, when she had encountered the poachers. They had been bearing pelts of exotic animals over their shoulders as they moved from merchant to merchant peddling their wares. She had frowned, as she caught the stench coming off of one of the men. Something shiny hanging from his hip had nearly blinded her. She glanced at his side curiously and had nearly fainted when she spotted Xena's Chakram loosely tied around his waist by a bit of rope.

The bard had gone into a rage.

A rage that upon learning what had befallen her friend had gotten her a year of hard labor in a Corinthian prison. Even after the duo's twenty-five year sleep, Corinth still bore a grudge against Xena. Upon learning Gabrielle's identity and who's death she had been avenging, the Corinthian authorities had kept her under tight security, purposefully not hearing her case for a full year. In that time the bard had nearly gone insane from grief.

And now she was trudging through the jungles of Africa on hunch and a few rumors.

She took a step and lost her footing. The action caused a jarring pain in her skull. She waited for the blurred vision to clear and the powerful wave of dizziness and nausea to pass. But found instead that the greenery around her began to spin. She fell forward to the ground still clutching the pack in her hands.

Gabrielle glanced up as the black wolf she'd been tracking came into view. It glanced at her, tilting its head to the right and then left. Sniffing the air in her direction, it began to approach her cautiously. Gabrielle knew that it sensed her illness. 'Oh great.' she muttered weakly to herself, 'looks like I'm about to be dinner.' She tried standing to her feet, and then closed her eyes sadly realizing that she was now weak as a babe.

The wolf leapt and landed directly in front of her. Gabrielle prayed for unconsciousness to claim her before it attacked . . . but she remained lucid. She watched warily, tensed as the animal sniffed again and then sensing the bard's fear, the beast dropped to its belly with a soft "yowuuuuuah" as though trying to reassure the bard of its benevolent intent. It crawled over to her that way until it was at her head. With one last bit of energy Gabrielle rolled herself onto her back. The animal stood over her sniffing her from head to toe as though inspecting her for injury. If she weren't in such pain, she might have laughed, realizing now that she was not on the menu. The wolf returned to stand by her head peering down at her with large blue eyes. Up close Gabrielle could see just how huge the wolf was. The animal nudged her face gently with a cold nose and let out a soft whimper of concern.

"I'll be alright." Gabrielle managed "I just need to rest." The wolf answered with another yowl and licked her right cheek before settling down beside her as close as it could, As though it sought to keep her shivering body warm. Gabrielle's mind was beginning to lose focus. "I was right." She murmured sleepily to the beast. "You have been watching over me . . . guiding me . . . to Xena." She mumbled the warrior's name and drifted into deep sleep soothed by the animal's low soothing yowls.

Unlikely Guardian

Tsarzeto watched guardedly over her sleeping ward. She lifted her large head, catching a whiff in the direction south of them and the hackles at the scruff of her neck raised. She stood to all fours and inhaled more deeply. There was trouble back there, just two days behind them, less now that the woman had finally given in to fatigue. Hunters. She could smell the scent of the dead on them. She looked to the pale woman besides her and cocked her head to the side with worry. This Woman reminded her of her own smaller pack mate. Tsezar. Small, pale and strong. She knew the woman possessed more than average strength for a hairless biped and sensed that the pale creature would normally be more than a match for the three hunters gaining ground on them . . . but weak and sickly as she was now, she would not survive an attack. And this stop, although badly needed by the sickly creature, had placed the Pale Woman in jeopardy. Tsarzeto would need help. She could not allow the Pale Woman to be harmed.

The black wolf raised its head and sent out soulful call for her small, but fierce pack mate, then Tsarzeto settled back down beside her charge, satisfied that her call for help would be answered.

Tsarzeto turned her attention back to the Pale Woman for closer inspection. She moved around the woman, sniffing cautiously and deeply at all the different scents that clung to the woman. Several odors were unidentifiable, places, things, and people that Tsarzeto had never seen and would possibly never see. She liked the way this one smelled. Even with all the foreign odors clinging to her, the woman smell of dirt grass, clear springs, and wild flowers. Someone who makes the earth her bed. Tsarzeto humphed approvingly. She continued her examination, pleased at her discovery. There was one scent on the woman that Tsarzeto had noticed and recognized immediately upon her first encounter with the woman. That essence had been the second reason she had decided the to guard over her. And now she knew she had not imagined it. The scent mingled strongly with the woman's own. She noticed that the bundle the woman carried held the mingled aroma of food, water, Pale Woman, and . . . Tsarzeto leapt away in amazement. And leapt again up and down yipping excitedly, forgetting not to disturb the pale creature.

When Tsarzeto and her pack mate Tsezar had found Dark One at the bottom of the cliffs, she had been in the near dead sleep. Tsarzeto had been thrilled at the prospect of such a hearty meal for herself and her pack mate, but Tsezar had argued with her against finishing off the near dead woman. And so grudgingly because her, Tsezar had asked (Whatever Tsezar wants, Tsezar gets), they had dragged the woman to nearby cave and set vigil over her, each taking a place at the woman's sides to keep her warm. It had been a long sleep for the woman. Tsarzeto had nearly given up hope on the Dark One's awakening, and had become disheartened herself. After so long with the dark stranger, she had grown accustomed to her smells and found them comforting. She had hoped the woman would awaken to swim and play with them.

Several sky fires had passed when eventually the dark woman had begun talking in her sleep, screaming out a word. She would reach out as though she were seeking something or someone important and when her hands touched empty air, the soulful moan and whimper that the Dark One uttered had been gut wrenching for both wolves. "She's lost something." Tsarzeto had commented once upon witnessing the woman's futile dream search.

"Her pack mate." Tsezar had been certain this was the cause of the sleeping woman's distress. Tsarzeto had felt her kindred to the woman, remembering once when she and Tsezar had been separated during a stampede by the striped horses. For weeks she had searched for her pack mate, her own spirit dwindling when she thought they'd never find each other again. She had understood the Dark One's pain.

When the strange woman had finally opened her eyes, Tsarzeto and Tsezar both had been shocked to find them the same color as the dark wolves own blue eyes. The eyes had been at first blank and empty and then became clouded with fear and confusion. It had taken several hours of convincing the woman that neither wolf intended to hurt her. Once the woman's fears had been allayed, she sat in a corner like a pup while the two wolves sniffed about her. Tsezar had found the nasty gash behind the woman's head . . . They had seen such terrible wounds among there own kind, head wounds that made a wolf like a new born pup again; their minds empty of all they had seen and experienced. In a pack such a creature would be killed.

Tsarzeto had, had no heart to kill the Dark One. She had decided to protect her instead and teach her their ways. A decision that made Tsezar very happy. Still it had been a strange experience, teaching the biped to eat and drink. More importantly teaching her to chew before she tried to swallow. Teaching the biped had proven a task they had needed much assistance with. Tsezar had actually talked the nearby monkeys into teaching the Dark One to walk again and climb trees.

Dark One had been like a child learning new things and ever so curious. Tsarzeto smiled now at the memory. Tsezar had had her work cut out for her, teaching Dark One the dangers of sticking every thing she found in her mouth. But the Dark One was strong now. She cared well for herself, and yet still the heart sickness that had haunted the woman in her near dead sleep, remained. Though the woman could not remember anything of her existence outside of the jungle, she still felt the sting of having lost something important to her. The wolf sighed deeply. 'It is well and good this pale one has come along.'

Tsarzeto studied her sleeping ward yet again and sighed with satisfaction. Your pale friend remembered you Dark One and she has sought you ought.

Tsarzeto had settled to take a quick nap as night approached, but immediately sat up on her haunches, her heart quickening as she caught the scent of her pack mate approaching.

She looked up very pleased to see the white wolf. *That was fast.*

*Sounded like you really needed me.* Tsezar cocked her head to the left. *Should I have taken my time?* She teased. She frowned slightly catching sight of the woman lying beside her pack mate. She had thought to admonish her pack mate for attacking a human, but after a quick sniff she caught the odor of fever. Her eyes widened suddenly . . . *She carries the scent of our Dark One.* Tsarzeto nodded with a happy grin. She circled the woman slowly. *The scent is old. She seeks the Dark One out?* Again Tsarzeto nodded again. *She needs tending to. She's very sick.*

*Yes. And there are hunters a day behind now.* Tsarzeto explained. *This one is strong.* She cocked her head at her charge. *She is a strong fighter.*

*Tsarzeto! Did you . . .*

*No. I didn't harm her.* The dark wolf defended quickly. *She fought Malihi.*

*Malihi! * Tsezar stared at the woman in surprise and a great deal of skepticism. She's not very big for a biped. *She actually fought the big cat? *

*Yep!*

*She won?*

*Not quite. She's not as strong as Dark One.* She snarled with pride *but Woohoo! You should have seen her. Of course, Malihi was merely toying with her, but the big cat earned a few wounds of her own. I think Malihi let her live: though I'm uncertain why. She earned the Big Cat's respect.*

*Umm.* Tsezar inspected the woman more closely, sniffing about with curiosity. *Did you see this?* She licked at the shoulder wound. They both studied the wound closely. *You know what this means?*

*She's protected.* Tsarzeto nodded aware of the significance of the wound. Tsezar moved to the other side of the Pale One. She liked the woman's scent. It was soothing. *She has eyes like you.* Tsarzeto spoke to her companion. The pale wolf looked at her pack mate surprised by the information. *She has your spirit.* She ducked her head shyly. *That's why I first chose to protect her.*

Tsezar bared her teeth gently at her pack mate. *You are a big softie.* She teased. *Who'd have thought you'd be such a romantic?* Tsarzeto let out a gruff humph that caused her pack mate to laugh. *Oh, don't get all huffy on me my Dark Wolf . . . seeing this side of you is a nice treat.* 'Oh no!' Tsezar cursed herself inwardly once she'd spoken the words, knowing her very strong, but sensitive mate would take them wrong. And she was proven correct. Tsarzeto's eyes took on a haunted look and her head lowered.

*Am I really so horrid, Tsezar?* She dropped heavily to her belly as she recalled all the dangers she'd placed her pack mate in since they'd become outcasts. How many times have I nearly gotten her killed or captured? She thought of Hep'duin the timber wolf that had been Tsezar's intended. Tsezar would have had a good place at his side with many strong young pups to suckle.

She sighed sadly and with a great deal of guilt. By now, Tsezar would have been Alpha of her own clan. She closed her eyes and sorrow brought forth a soft howl. Because of me the others will not come near her. No matter how often Tsezar denied it, the black wolf knew that being shunned, hurt the Pale Wolf, as did the knowledge that she would never suckle her own litter. Only the Ancient white, Tsezar's mother had remained in contact with young pale wolf and now that the ancient had left this existence, Tsezar was completely cut off from her kind. Another soft howl of pain escaped the large wolf's mouth.

Tsezar closed her eyes; aching at the pain she had caused her beloved mate. For all her strength and wisdom, the Black Wolf was still very often uncertain. She moved around the sleeping woman and stood before her hurting pack mate. *Tsarzeto, no.* She nudged her gently with a cold nose and licked at her pack mate's ear. * You are not horrid at all, but fierce, strong, and brave. How many times have I depended on those very things about you to save me? You keep us alive. I would never survive out here alone.*

*But you would not be out here, if it were not for me.* Came the bitter self-admonishment. Those words lanced the pale wolf's heart.

*I choose to be here. I could never return to a life without you in it.* Tsezar's howl was impassioned. *You Tsarzeto are my air, my water, and my food. What am I without you? How would I be warm without your heat of your furs beside me? How could I laugh without the joy of having you in my heart?* She nuzzled the lowered head with her own. *My biggest fear is that one-day you will be the one to leave.* She admitted softly, her own carefully guarded secret. At that the big wolf stood up, shocked by the admission.

*Why would I ever . . .?* Tsarzeto began.

*Shush.* Tsezar waved a paw to silence her. *Let me finish. You think I do not know what you gave up for me when first we met. Malihi told me the truth some time ago. That it was no coincidence that you appeared when the hunters had me trapped from escape. She told me they were the bipeds that had slaughtered your clan. You had been tracking them to avenge your pack.* Tsezar looked down ashamedly. *Instead you rescued me and got me to safety.*

*I have not regretted.* The black wolf assured.

*I have feared for a long time that you would come to regret and grow to hate me for it.*

*Hate you! Tsezar!* Tsarzeto intoned softly. *We are one heart. Even when parted, I feel your heart beating in time with my own. We are the same, one pelt, one spirit, and one heart.* Blue eyes lowered in deference to green. *You rule me . . . You reign over me . . .You are my Alpha.* Spoken so softly, the declaration was carried on the wind to the white wolf's ears.

Tsezar released a howl of wonderment, leapt forward -pouncing suddenly, and rolled the big wolf over onto her back. She stood dominant straddling over her length wise, teeth bared as Tsarzeto exposed her unprotected throat. Tsarzeto's eyes closed and she whimpered softly in pleasure when mouth and teeth clamped gently down over her throat. There was nothing in their world that would make her walk away from this.

Gabrielle awakened abruptly. She tensed immediately disoriented by the strange animal sounds around her. She rolled over onto her back and frowned for a moment, not certain of her bearings. She stretched out her aching limbs, and then mentally checked her body for aches and earlier undetected wounds. She winced mentally. 'Shoulder hurts. Mouth is dry. I'm sore all over. The headache is tolerable, still a little feverish. I'm hungry, very hungry.' She grinned then. 'Oh yeah, I'm good.'

She started focussing on her surroundings and remembered collapsing there. 'Judging from the sun and my stiffness, I've slept for close to a full day.' She stood shakily to her feet and spun around sharply at the sound of shuffling just to her right. Her eyes widened when she spotted the Black Wolf. "So you've appointed yourself my guardian." She smiled at the wolf, not really expecting it to understand her. The wolf barked once, as though in answer and Gabrielle did a double take at that. 'Okay, I've seen everything.' Or so she thought until the smaller white wolf trudge into the area and positioned itself beside the big wolf. The white wolf nudged the black wolf affectionately. Gabrielle shook her head. "Now, I've seen everything."

*The hunters!* The white wolf yeowled at her pack mate. *We must get her from here.*

*How close are they?* Tsarzeto asked worriedly.

*A quick running distance.* She looked about fearfully. *They found the trail you left for her.* Tsarzeto nodded her understanding. The hunters were after the black wolf, herself, and Tsarzeto knew the Pale Woman would fight to defend her. She feared the woman would be hurt in the confrontation. She had wanted to surprise the Dark One with the Pale Woman, but with the hunters so close now . . .

*I will call for our friend.* Tsezar nodded solemnly at that wisdom. Her pack mate howled loudly, repeating the howl several times, very aware that the hunters also would hear it. Tsezar moved to stand closer to the Pale Woman.

The woman seemed unafraid of her approach. She gazed up at the woman and was startled to see the color of her own eyes reflected back at her and apparently the woman was just as surprised. She squatted suddenly and peered intently into the pale wolf's eyes and saw a warning there, one word seemed to whisper into her brain as though it were her own voice that spoke it. 'Danger.' With that the woman stood abruptly to her feet again. The pale wolf gestured in her head the direction from which danger was approaching. The pale woman nodded and then turned a questioning glance at her two new friends. Tsezar pushed another single-word thought into the woman's mind. 'Run.'

"That's what I thought." The woman mumbled and at that she was sprinting after her pale friend further into the heart of the jungle with the black wolf following closely behind.

The Call

It was another lazy day for Dark One. Lazy and boring: she missed her small clan. Tsarzeto had been gone now for several passings of the sky fire. Tsezar had taken off sometime during the last light sky, before the pale torch had arisen and the sky fire had finished its descent.

Dark One tossed a few rocks into the swimming stream. She had played in the water for a while, but had grown tired of splashing about by herself. She didn't like being by herself. It made her hurt inside and she was always afraid her clan would not come back. The two wolves were all she had. She had other friends in the jungle that had helped her, but Tsezar and Tsarzeto were special. When she had first opened her eyes, they had been there. They had taught her everything; Tsezar had been mother to her. Tsarzeto, her constant guardian and companion.

She sighed, now having grown tired of tossing small rocks. She looked to the long sharp tool she carried with her everywhere. Tsarzeto had told her that the tool had been lying near her when they found her and that it had carried her scent on it. Dark One did not know what it was called, but she felt secure when she held the firm grip in her hands. It came in handy for cutting things and when she needed wood for fire.

She picked the tool up and examined it. The designs on the shiny and sharp part of the tool were pretty designs and the colorful stones imbedded on the grip often kept her entranced for long periods. Though it felt right when she held the tool, she could not recall what it was or where she had gotten it.

Some days that bothered her. She would sit and try very hard, sometimes until her head began to ache, to remember what or who she was before this place. But there was nothing. No dreams, no nightmares; nothing. It was as if she had no existence until this place. She had been born here. Tsezar claimed her as her own pup and that made Dark One happy. It made her belong. Still, she was sad she could not remember old things like what this tool was called.

Sometimes she felt what Tsezar and Tsarzeto called the heart sickness. They told Dark One; heart sickness was from losing a clan kin or pack mate. Which made no sense to Dark One since she could not remember if she even had a clan or a pack mate. Yet Tsezar had said the heart and soul remember.

Dark One stood up, wanting to shake off the sadness caused by her quiet musings. She glanced about her and her eyes fell on her favorite climbing tree. She felt larger than everything when she was up there, like nothing was strong enough to beat her. And she could see over the forest floor. She took the tool and put it in the carrier on her back. She smiled liking the way it fit there. Running down the side of the stream, she howled happily as she flipped and landed on one of the lower branches of the tall tree. Laughing happily, climbing higher and higher. Her clan would return, she decided. Perhaps they were . . . she blushed for a moment remembering stumbling upon an intimacy between the two wolves. Though they seemed untroubled by her presence, she had certainly been embarrassed, and they still teased her unmercifully about it. She sighed as she continued her climb. 'Come back soon. I miss you both.''

She made it all the way to the top this time. 'Not even tired,' she praised herself. She loved the breeze from this height. It touched her like an old friend, lifting the dark hair that was now down to her haunches. She hugged the tree leaning against it, feeling the life in the old tower and allowing it to soothe her. Granoke, the great monkey that had taught her to walk and climb had said the trees were older than most life and that they knew all kinds of secrets.

Sometimes Dark One could hear the trees whispering, telling her things. And now this tree, her favorite, was telling her to be very quiet and to listen. Dark One closed her eyes tightly and waited listening carefully. Her eyes sprang open suddenly and she stood to full height. 'Tsarzeto!' Her clan was in trouble. Heart hammering wildly in her chest, she listened again for direction of the sound. There . . . she heard the wolf again. She took a deep breath and with an answering howl, Dark One leapt from the branch to a branch in a nearby tree. She continued on this way until the trees were too far apart to cross then she leapt to the ground and began running at great speed.

It must be bad for the Pale and Black wolves to need her help. Someone was trying to hurt her clan and they were going to pay for that. She sniffed again, knowing she was close to them and leapt into a nearby tree climbing as high as she could to get a view of the trouble. Her heart slammed forward in her chest and her breath caught in her throat at what she found. They were fighting hunters. This is not what caused the Dark One's inability to move. It was the biped fighting along side her friends that filled her vision. She'd never seen anything so pleasing to her eyes. She was small, but strong and even from her perch; she could see the biped's muscles flexing under the strain of fending off blows. Her hair was pale as Tsezar's but shorn well above the shoulders. The hunters that were attacking the woman and Dark One's clan were using tools like the one at Dark One's back. The wolves couldn't get in close enough to attack without being struck by one of the sharp edges.

The small woman had two small tools that looked sharp and deadly and used one to disarm a hunter. Then she put away her weapons and picked up the long sharp tool and began using it in the way the hunter had. Dark One instinctively reached for her own instrument and with an ululating cry, she somersaulted down from the branch and was running to join in the foray.

Dark One had just entered the area when as though sensing her, the small woman turned around sharply, her green eyes widening in shock. "Xena." she whispered. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell to the ground. Dark One gave a strangled cry when the beautiful woman fell. She felt a tightening in her chest that made her eyes sting with the salty water that leaked when she was sad. She screamed again and fell upon the hunters with an animal ferocity unlike she had ever unleashed before. These bipeds would not live to hunt again.

Once the hunters were disarmed, Tsezar and Tsarzeto were free to attack fully, showing no mercy to the invaders of their land. There were screams that echoed through the forest frightening birds into flight for safer space. Animals pitched from their dens to find temporary shelter elsewhere. And then there was silence.

The three stood covered in blood, over the dead bodies of the enemy. Tsarzeto, satisfied by the kill, spoke calmly. *The bodies must be destroyed. They cannot be discovered here.* She gave her companions a meaningful look. *If they are found, more will come.*

Dark One only partially heard; her eyes were now riveted to the woman who lay lifeless on the ground. Fear clutched her heart as she crouched on the ground and approached slowly. She reached out a tentatively finger and poked quickly and then drew back fearfully. She was inanely curious however, and remaining in a crouched position and circled the woman, tilting her head from one side to the other, mimicking movement she'd learned form the jungle animals. She leaned in slightly and sniff the air just above the woman and fell back scampering away on all fours as she picked up her own fading scent on the stranger. She howled with fright at that oddity and looked to her clan, who watched her with interest.

*Pale Woman is not well.* Tsezar spoke softly to Dark One ignoring the pup's fear. *We must work quickly and get her to shelter.* That said the Dark One nodded solemnly and set about taking care of the bodies and burying the hunter's sharp tools. She made a mental note of where she hid the tools. It wouldn't hurt to have a few more tools. When she then reached to lift Pale Woman up, Tsarzeto surprised her by saying . . .

*If you don't wish Pale Woman to die of fright, Dark One, I suggest you take a quick dip in the water.* Dark One had never been concerned before about how she looked after a kill, but the black wolf's words worried her. She didn't want to scare the strange woman, but she did not want to leave her alone either. *Go on.* Tsarzeto urged. *We've watched over her for this long; we can keep an eye on her a bit longer.*

Dark One looked sharply to her companions, wondering how long the Pale Woman had been there. Suddenly she understood the reason behind her friends' mysterious absence. She had many questions to ask, but a sharp glance from Tsezar silenced her. Hesitant to leave, she sighed deeply and began walking slowly backwards from the area. *You should hurry, you know.* Nodding Dark One, never heard the two wolves laughing as she spun on her heels and raced out of the clearing.

*You were right.* Tsezar cast a glance at the small woman. *She has a fierce spirit.*

*She can hear you. Can't she? Like our Dark One?* Tsarzeto considered the Pale Woman with a pensive gaze.

*Yes.* The white wolf sat back on her haunches and licked at the blood beginning to mat on her fur. She needed to get to that stream herself. 'I'll never be able to lick all of this off.' She looked up at her quiet pack mate. *Could be natural for her to hear. Or perhaps her encounter with Malihi.* Tsarzeto nodded satisfied with the two possible answers.

Malihi was a strange cat. It was possible she had forged a mental bond with the Pale Woman. The why, was a complete mystery; but no one in the jungle understood the Queen's reasoning behind many of the things she did. The Big Cat had always been a mystery. But Tsarzeto had learned to trust Malihi's wisdom and never questioned the strange Queen's methods. That and she owed the Queen her life several times over. It was because of Malihi that Tsarzeto had not been banished from the jungle.

*I think our poor dark pup is very confused.* Tsezar sighed, but there was humor in her eyes as she spoke.

*I think you are right.* Tsarzeto chuckled. Suddenly Tsezar's eyes darkened with sadness.

*Oh no!* She let out a fearful cry. *What if she's come to take our Dark One away from us? What if she has come to take her home?*

That was a thought neither of them had considered until that moment. For Tsarzeto, Dark One was a soul kindred, but to her pack mate, she knew the Dark One was akin to a suckling to the white wolf. Tsezar had fed the woman when she could not feed herself, licked clean small wounds, and had lay close to the woman when she cried out in sleep. To lose her would be losing her own pup. Tsarzeto began to wonder that perhaps she had erred greatly leading the woman here.

*We will see what happens.* She spoke with more confidence than she felt. But considering the woman's affinity for hearing and Malihi's strange behavior towards her, she felt her confidence growing. *I have a feeling Pale Woman will find that she herself has come home.*

Tsezar relaxed taking her pack mate's words to heart. 'Well if Pale Woman has any intentions of taking the Dark One from here, I'll just have to convince her otherwise.' She decided. After all the, Woman could hear. There had to be a reason for that. A special reason. Before Dark One and Pale Woman, Tsezar had not encountered outsiders with this ability. And still, even within the jungle, there were very few native bipeds with the affinity for hearing. Tsezar studied the young woman closely with a great deal of fondness even after so brief a meeting. The white wolf liked the idea that her clan was growing.

In the nearby village of Honiniwa, midday activity came to an abrupt halt at the sound of the strange piercing scream that rang through the forest. Children froze in their play. Women looked up from their clothes washing and long meal preparation. The Men having returned from the early morning hunt; all stopped their chores of dressing the kills. Every eye was trained keenly on the forest beyond their land.

King Ogowa shuddered with fear as he rushed out of the opening of his hut. All turned to him at his abrupt appearance. The same scream echoed again. And every eye in the village was staring once again in the direction of that horrid sound. The Demon. Ogowa had never heard such a scream, but he had no doubt that it had been uttered by the dark demon.

One of the strong men, a hunter. Beninanwa rushed to the forefront dropping to the ground in reverence to his King.

"Shall I head out with a group of strong men?" He rose to his feet: eyes still lowered. "We will investigate and bring back news. Perhaps the demon is hurt and or dying." There was hopefulness in his voice that caused the King to blanch in anger, but Ogowa held his anger in check. Many among them feared the demon. Even Ogowa himself. They had seen her terrible powers and great strength. However, Ogowa had also conceded the knowledge that the demon's presence lessened the number of outsiders in their homeland. There was more food now for the villages.

There had been a time when Ogowa had wanted the demon dead. His tribe had paid dearly for his secret wish. The demon had visited upon them a great wrath and had struck the village like a hammer. He tapped the young hunter on the shoulder and shook his head.

"No Beninanwa. We have learned a hard lesson in meddling in the dark demon's affairs. Let us not be reminded of that terrible lesson." The young man nodded accepting his leader's wisdom in all things. "Whatever troubles our dark demon . . . it is with a certainty I say, we will be finding out soon enough."

"You are wise." Beninanwa bowed lowly. "I beg forgiveness for my rash offer."

"You thought to protect your village, and wisely you came to me first." The king smiled gently. "Nothing need be forgiven." Ogowa looked upon his people understanding they needed their fears allayed. "Fearing for the sake of fearing is senseless." He spoke that they may all hear his words. "We will wait and see what the gods have in store for us. Until then, let the demon keep to her own. She no longer wishes us harm."

They each nodded. "We must always remember it was we ourselves who visited the first offense upon her before we knew her intentions. We made peace with her. Her powers are enormous, but she has not used them against us. Her anger at our offense was great and yet we still have our lives." He smiled at them kindly and returned to his hut.

Ogowa fell to his knees and began deep meditation. He only hoped that a foul season was not beginning for the village. The Dark One had been benevolent for some time now, but still, it would be foolish to forget . . . that she was a demon. Though no one knew where the demon had come from or why she had made an appearance, She was here now and apparently to stay. Ogowa suspected that she had fallen from the night sky. So dark was the woman's countenance at times. Some believed she was called upon by the great Malihi herself. The ancient Queen had great magic. Many believe Malihi once walked the earth as a woman, a powerful shamaness. The Lion's magic had been the jungle's protection for many years. But as the Lion's age climbed, her magic dwindled. Poachers raped the land, killing many plants and animals for exchange of wealth. The jungle had been in need of new magic. And now the demon had come and her magic is strong.

Animal Instinct

Dark One worked quickly to get a fire going. She carried her charge closer to the flames, careful not to lay her too closely to the heat. She placed the woman's bundle beside her so that it would be within reach of the Pale Woman when she awakened. It had taken much will power to not look through the bundle especially after catching her own scent upon it. But Tsezar had reminded her that trust was important. So she did not go through the woman's bundle. She trapped a small rabbit and dressed it as the women in the village had taught her. Then she spitted it and placed it over the low flame. While the rabbit cooked, she busied herself cleaning up the cave. She did not want the woman to be disgusted by her dwelling. Dark One was very proud of her home. She wanted the Pale Woman to see that.

She could not get over that this was someone who possibly knew her from that other existence. She was at once eager -impatient to learn what this woman knew as well as fearful of what the woman would tell her. She hurried over to the woman and began gently removing the woman's meager garments. Her eyes fell on the shoulder wound and she tilted the small woman gently and found the same exact wound on the back of the same shoulder. The wounds were deep and appeared deliberate. She winced in sympathy, knowing from experiencing, the pain of having Malihi's claws dig into the flesh. The woman had apparently tended to the wounds as best she could. They were healing nicely and Dark One detected no scent of infection. But there would be scars.

She felt slightly dizzy at her close proximity to the woman and moved away, disturbed by the affect. She took a deep breath and then grabbed a cloth and a bowl of fresh water. The fever seemed to be breaking on its own, but Dark One felt a cool bath might help quicken the process. That, and she was eager to get a look at what lie beneath the dirt. She set to her task of bathing her charge, her eyes moving hungrily over each area the rag touched beginning at the face and then the neck and shoulders.

Many times Dark One had to stop, realizing she was panting as though she had gone on a long run. Her body felt strangely overheated. She thought for a moment she might be catching the woman's fever. When she lowered the rag to the woman's breast, she noticed the small tips pebbled and the skin around the points became puckered. She gasped in shock when she felt her own do the same. She was fascinated now, moving the rag aside to feel the difference of the hardened points and the softness of the fleshy area of small pale breasts. She moved her palms over them, enjoying the tickle sensation of the pebbled bumps against the center of her palms.

She sighed happily then returned to the task of cleansing the woman. She forced herself to complete the duty and not become distracted by the rest of the woman's flesh, but she took her time, enjoying performing such a task on another. When she was finished, she set the bowl aside and checked on the rabbit. Satisfied with its doneness, she gathered hot rocks. Then she wrapped the meat tightly in a cloth and placed the rocks beneath it, atop of it, and all around it to keep it warm and fresh for when Pale Woman awakened. She gathered a drinking bowl filled with water and placed it nearby. Satisfied with her work, she quickly returned to the woman's side. She moved in closely to the woman sniffing up and down her flesh as she had been taught. Dark One loved the woman's natural scent. It drew her in and made her head swim. She straddled the woman, careful not to touch her. Her attention was once again drawn to the full round mounds of flesh at the woman's chest she studied them closely and sniffed them for milk.

Tsezar said that's what teats were for, suckling the young. Dark One felt her mouth watering as she looked at this woman's teats and realized she wanted to suckle on them. She closed her eyes for a moment. 'I really, really wanted to suckle on them, but I'm not hungry, and these teats have no milk.' She was confused by the overpowering desire to take them into her mouth.

She had never wanted to suckle on Tsezar or Tsarzeto. She'd been curious with the women in the village but she had not felt this need to suckle. She lowered her head slowly and gently drew a teat into her mouth and moaned at the softness of the flesh. She closed her eyes at the taste of the woman's flesh on her tongue. She drew on the teat suckling with great gentleness, afraid she would hurt the small woman. Dark One knew with a certainty, that she never wanted to hurt her.

She heard a soft moan issue from her charge's lips. It sounded much like the moan she herself had just uttered and she sighed happily that the woman enjoyed this even in her sleep. Because Dark One wanted to do this a lot. And if Pale Woman liked it too, then she would not mind. She brushed her fingers across her own teats and gasped at the pleasure it evoked. 'I will let her suckle me if she wants. I hope she wants.' She switched

teats and suckled the other for a while, the soft moaning noises the woman was making caused her heart to clench in her chest and she felt a strong aching between her thighs. Cautiously placing her hands between her thighs, she was startled by the thick pool of moisture there. She brought it to her nose to and inhaled. Her eyes sprang open as she thrilled at the scent.

It was completely instinctive what she did next. She gathered more of the moisture between her legs and coated the woman's teats with it. Then she rubbed some of the moisture on the smooth muscular belly. My pack mate. Satisfied that she had marked her territory. Dark One wanted to howl badly, but she knew it would awaken the woman and Tsezar had told her, very sternly, to let Pale Woman sleep. So she whimpered instead, especially after catching the scent coming from the Pale Woman's own center. She moved her hand there, feeling the slick wetness between the woman's thighs and Dark One knew in her heart, she herself had caused it. She coated her fingers once again, but with the Pale Woman's moisture and smeared herself with it. Your pack mate. She silently told the sleeping woman. She was very sad the woman was not awake. She really wanted her to open her eyes. They could howl together then.

Curiosity brought her still slick fingers to her lips and she swiped at it quickly with her tongue. She felt slightly guilty at this. Tsezar had spent many moments teaching her not to put everything in her mouth. But the scent was too intoxicating to not investigate fully. The taste of the woman on her finger made her body shiver and ache. She wanted more. She licked her fingers clean, but still it was not enough. She studied the woman's teats thoughtfully and then directed a curious glance further downward. She could suckle some more, she did like that a lot, but her mind kept straying to the woman's center. Tsezar had not yet explained mating to her. But Dark One knew she wanted to mate with this woman and she would if she knew how. 'Please wake up, Little One.' She begged silently. If her clan kin were right and this small woman was her pack mate from before, then she would know how they mated. 'Please,' she pleaded again, but the small creature did not stir.

Blue eyes closed sadly. And her chest heaved with a heavy sigh. She moved further down the small woman, and lay between the woman's thighs. She did not want to be far from her. But she did not know what else to do. 'I will sleep as well and when she awakens, we will mate.' She chose the perfect spot for her head. She rested it on a thigh near that perfect scent. She breathed in deep and found her mouth watering again. 'Please wake up soon.' She moved a hand to the woman's center, resting the back of her hand against the moist warmth. Determined now that this is where she would always sleep.

"Xena." the small woman whispered in her sleep and moved a hand to Dark One's cheek.

'Xena.' Dark One frowned slightly; remembering the Pale Woman had called her that before she fell. 'That must be my other name,' she realized. 'Xena. She does know me.' With that happy thought she closed her eyes and slept.

Tsezar moved from the cave entrance, her heart felt lighter when she saw her Dark One nestled against the Pale Woman in sleep. She looked up at the descending sky fire and howled her joy, then sought out her own pack mate.

Gabrielle awakened with a start; her eyes remained closed. 'This passing out thing is really becoming an annoying habit.' The bard admonished herself. She opened her eyes, squinting a bit, not wanting any surprises to just jump out at her. Of course squinting caused her vision to blur a bit; so that she was able only just able to make out that she was in a cave. She was surprised by this as well as the thick furs she felt beneath her protecting her from the hard cave floor. Opening her eyes further, she peered to her right, and saw the slowly dying fire, and just beyond that, an area that was cluttered with wooden cooking tools and bowls that were obviously hand fashioned. She didn't want to contemplate the weight resting between her thighs just yet. 'Nope. Gonna think about that one later.' She determined.

She glanced around taking in the artwork covering the walls. She couldn't make out the figures or what they meant from her vantage- point. There were several animal pelts that appeared to have been fashioned by skilled fingers into cloaks and bodily attire. She looked to her right and found there the mouth of the cave, although from the breeze coming from behind her head she could tell that there was much more to the cave. She wondered if the cave's inhabitant had ever traversed deeper into the caverns. With that thought, she became startling aware that her left hand rested on flesh that was not her own.

She nearly jerked her hand away at the realization, but a larger hand clamped down just then, firmly but gently over her own to keep it in place. Gabrielle's heart picked up pace. 'I know that hand. Gods!' It was then that she remembered the fight in the clearing with the men that were hunting her two new wolf friends. She had been warding off their attack keeping herself between the persistent poachers and the two wolves that could not get in close enough to help her. Her recent illness and the lingering (although mild) fever had been causing her to tire under the assault. Then she had felt her, Xena. She had spun about suddenly as the men had caught sight of the Warrior Princess behind her. She saw her. Xena! That was all she remembered.

Gabrielle was about to speak, but with lightening speed, the body nestled between the bard's thighs moved and was straddling the woman, her face mere inches from Gabrielle's. Intense blue, gazed searchingly into deep emerald green. Anything the Bard might have said became lost in her throat at the reality of having her warrior right there with her. Gabrielle's eyes teared as she whispered the warrior's name. "Xena." She closed her eyes as two years of heartache caught up with her. 'Oh Gods, She's alive and I found her. She's alive!' She began to sob helplessly and strong familiar arms enveloped her, shifting them so that Xena was sitting with the bard on her lap. Gabrielle buried her face in the crook of Xena's shoulder and released all of the pain and anguish she'd held onto for so long.

She'd missed those arms around her. She missed this woman terribly. The warrior buried her face in the bard's hair, then breathed in deeply. Her arms tightened around the bard reflexively. Gabrielle shuddered and sighed, her tears finally subsiding after a long while. The warrior pulled back slightly and a long gentle finger lifted Gabrielle's chin and the young warrior bard was staring into stunning Cerulean. She couldn't stop the quickening of her heart as that deep penetrating gaze arrested her. Her breath became caught in her throat at the profound tenderness in that familiar face. "Xena." She murmured huskily and pressed her lips to the woman's gently. The warrior princess pulled back suddenly as though surprised. She brought a finger up to her lips and then stared at Gabrielle wide-eyed. She then peered at the bard curiously and mimicked the kiss. Gabrielle set aside her confusion and returned the kiss, sighing as it deepened. She heard the soft groan from within the warrior's throat and Gabrielle shivered with pleasure. She parted her mouth allowing her tongue snake out and tease the warrior's lips another groan from the warrior was Gabrielle's undoing. She thrust her tongue more forcibly seeking entrance into the dark woman's mouth.

Instinctively lips parted allowing her access and Gabrielle suckled playfully on a full bottom lip before slipping her tongue into the moist warm entrance for further exploration. She stroked the warrior's tongue with her own, coaxing it out to suckle on it. She ended the kiss breathing raggedly, her heart racing madly in her chest. She stared at her friend, slightly shocked by the fierce passion the warrior had displayed. Xena's eyes fixed upon her. The look in those blue eyes drove a bolt of heat from Gabrielle's heart to her center. The warrior looked upon her with a hunger and longing Gabrielle had not before seen. She felt her abdomen constrict in cadence with the convulsive throbbing between her thighs.

'Gods, this can't be happening.' "Xena." She whispered softly bringing a hand up to stroke the warrior's soft cheek. "We have to talk." She breathed. "I have to know what happened." She searched her warrior's eyes earnestly for answers. She closed her eyes against the pain that assaulted her heart. "I need to know why you didn't come back to me." The last was spoken with a broken sob. The warrior only gazed at her with that same hungry look, which faded slightly to be replaced by a look of concern at the young woman's distress. "Xena." Gabrielle spoke again. "Please tell me why. Why didn't you come back?" The warrior tilted her head, a puzzled frown wrinkled her brow and she placed a finger to the bard's lips. "Xena?" Gabrielle was begging now for answers. The dark warrior finally opened her mouth to speak.

"Seeeenaaah." She pronounced the word as if she had never spoken it or heard before and met the bard's gaze questioningly. She scrunched her face up in concentration and spoke again. "Seeenah?" She pointed to herself and looked once again to the bard for confirmation. Gabrielle could only stare at her in shock as understanding hit her squarely in the chest.

"By the Gods! You've no idea, who you are, have you?" she looked down and closed her eyes tightly. 'I will not cry. I will not cry!' "You don't know me at all, do you?" She directed this question at the confused woman who sat struggling to comprehend the words Gabrielle uttered. 'She doesn't even understand me.' She pulled away from the woman sharply and moved away from her, sitting with her bare back against a far wall. "Gods, what am I going to do?" She clenched her jaws tightly fighting the tears that threatened to spill. 'She doesn't know me. She doesn't know me.'

*Her heart and soul know you, Pale Woman.* Gabrielle looked to the cave entrance as Tsezar entered. The white wolf moved over to the dark warrior who looked at Gabrielle with confusion and more than a little hurt in her eyes. The wolf sniffed about the warrior and leaned against her comfortingly. She licked a cheek affectionately. *Her mind does not remember, but her soul has waited for you for a long time. Knowing and feeling that she lost something important, but not being able to name it has been the source of great heart sickness for my young one.* The wolf looked to the pale haired woman. *I sensed this same heart sickness on you.*

"What happened to her? This is more than just memory lost." Gabrielle sighed shaking her head. She couldn't name the pain in her heart at the moment. "She can't understand a word I'm saying to her . . ."

*Her head wound was great, Pale Woman. For many days after we found Dark One, almost a moon, she lay in the near dead sleep. My pack mate and I took care of her like she was our own wolf pup.* The wolf nuzzled the dark woman's head and Gabrielle watched this with a mixture of fascination and abhorrence as Xena responded with a soft whimper of sorrow. *We had thought she would never awaken from this deep sleep, but we kept guard over her, feeding her and making her drink. But when she awakened her eyes were empty of knowledge and she was like a child that had to be taught new things. She had to learn to crawl and to walk again.* Gabrielle's eyes widened in horror. 'Oh Xena, I should have been there for there you.' *But our Dark One learns fast, She understands the way of the jungle creatures.*

'Like an animal!'

*She is more than animal!* The wolf snapped at the insult. She speaks many languages of the native bipeds. She has earned much respect for herself from the 'animals'* She looked at Gabrielle and the bard could have sworn she saw disdain in the wolf's eyes.

*And much respect from the native bipeds.* Then she glowered. *But my respect for you, Outsider, is dwindling.*

Gabrielle felt the sting of that rebuke. She hung her head in shame. "This is hard for me Tsezar." She spoke softly pain inflected in her voice. "She has been my life. We have been so much to each other and through so much together. We've even died and returned to the living for each other." She shook her head sorrowfully.

*Tsarzeto was right. You are pack mates.* Confused for a moment, Gabrielle was slow to catch the meaning and then her brow rose surprised by the assumption.

"Um no. Not really." This time it was the wolf that seemed surprised. "We were together once. It was after we had nearly lost each other. An enemy, a powerful enemy had us tortured and killed."

*Powerful magic brought you back to the life land.*

"You could say that. Things got pretty strange there for us for a while and we drifted part emotionally. There was always some battle to fight, or some god hunting us. We never had time to comfort each other. We were so lost in our own pain that for a time, that we couldn't . . ." Gabrielle sighed her eyes drifting to the woman who sat staring at her with wounded eyes. "I think we needed to connect physically in order to reconnect spiritually and emotionally." She blushed and drew her knees up to rest her chin upon them. "It was intense." She whispered softly. "Our friendship, the bond we share has always been really intense and strong and it spilled over into that physical connection we shared. I think it scared her . . . us."

*You never mated again?* The wolf asked softly. Gabrielle shook her head sadly. *You wanted to?* The bard nodded. *You may have only shared this physical bond once, but you are pack mates. Perhaps you chose to call it friendship, but you intended to live your lives out together, did you not?* Again Gabrielle nodded.

"I couldn't imagine life without her." Gabrielle lifted her head and met the wolf's eyes. Green met green with meaning. "I had already decided that if I found her remains, that if she had died here that I would . . ."

*Join her in the afterlife.* Tsezar supplied knowingly. Gabrielle found it slightly disconcerting talking to the wolf. It was too much like talking to herself. The wolf's psychic voice sounded much like her own. *And I was thinking that your talking voice sounded like my mental voice.* Gabrielle and the wolf stared at each other for a moment and both smiled. At least, Gabrielle hoped the bared teeth grin the wolf sported was a smile.

The bard looked at Xena and frowned slightly. The woman had gotten up and was now moving about the cave, nervously, moving things around only to put them back as she had placed them originally. 'I need to get her to a healer. Take her home get her around familiar surroundings. She'll remember then, I'm sure of it.' Her stomach growled noisily reminded the bard that she had gone sometime without food. But Xena was there, almost immediately offering her the bit of meat that she had obviously prepared herself: some vegetables that Gabrielle was unacquainted with and some fruit.

Gabrielle accepted the offering graciously. When blue eyes lingered on her for a long moment, Gabrielle smiled gently at the woman and sighed. "We'll get through this my friend." The bard spoke softly. "Somehow I'll find a way to help you." The dark woman prepared herself a bowl and waited for the bard to begin eating before she followed suit.

Gabrielle tasted everything tentatively, and then moaned with satisfaction at the pleasurable sensation filling her mouth. "Looks like you learned a new skill." She chuckled and was rewarded with a wide grin from the warrior.

*Hush now, Dark One.* Tsezar murmured gently. *Our pale friend is confused.* When Dark One nodded, the wolf spoke again. *Give her time. It wounds her that you cannot remember her.*

"We will mate?" Dark One asked more quietly, ashamed at her tirade just moments ago. The Pale Woman's rejection of her had hurt, worse than anything she could imagine. Yet she sensed that the woman had wanted to mate with her. She had smelled the woman's scent of need, when they had touched mouths. "I wish to mate with her badly, Tsezar." She turned away from the only mother she knew and looked out at the swimming stream. The sky fire would be going to sleep soon and the night torch would be rising.

*I know you do, Wolf pup.* Tsezar voice was soft and sympathetic *But she is afraid. You are a stranger to her now.*

"I am not a stranger! I am her pack mate!"

*You are not the Xena she . . .*

"I think I hate her Seeenah." Dark One grabbed up her long sharp tool and slid it into its place behind her back. She stood up her eyes darkening with anger. "I do hate her. I'm glad she's gone." With that she stalked off to her tree and began her climb to the higher branches.

Dark One sat on the highest branch she could and leaned against the tree sulking. She did not like this new pain in her chest that Pale Woman caused. A part of her said to send the woman away, but that idea hurt as well. Passings of the sky fire had come and gone and still Pale Woman had little to do with her. 'She thinks I am feeble or like a wolf pup'. Dark One felt a sharp twinge of pain in her chest. 'Every time she looks at me I can tell she's thinking of her Seeenah. Dark One sighed. She turned sharply when she saw the woman who took up so much of her thoughts exit the cave. 'I would be Seeenah for you, if I knew how, Little One.'

To be continued