Part 2

Below. Just below the small temple to Athene Nike, and sloping down the southwestern wall of the Akropolis, stands the Theater of Dionysos; a three-tiered and semi-circular structure. The upper level of the theater supports a roofed gallery reinforced by Ionic columns. I am up here, pacing back and forth and pausing between the columns, watching her perform for a small audience.

My memories of last night waft through my conscious like a gentle breeze. I took her last night, when she least expected it. She thought she could be so clever and elude my senses. But am I like one of the Hounds of Hades, my senses are alive and alert when she is near; I could perceive her on the wind and my mouth salivated--well, not just my mouth. My skin pricked and tingled as the night air brought her to me. Our passion took us to a realm beyond time and space; a place where the union of souls is indistinguishable from the melding of bodies. We flew to that place together, falling only when our bodies reached the limitations of physical endurance.

If I did love her at any point prior to this moment then it was a mere shadow compared to the bliss that holds me captive tonight. There she is up on the platform in the amphitheater, performing for them, beguiling them with the timbre of her voice, the movement of her hands as she emphasizes a dramatic point in her fable. She has them tonight and she knows it. She has me, too. I notice the subtle change in her stance just before she prances forward to draw them in a little closer. The hair at the back of my head prickles when she turns my way, teasing me with the candor of her mood before turning back to her audience. I'm glad I sit near the top and in darkness; she doesn't notice my blood racing upwards, the blush that thrills my senses. My pulse rushes to my loins and I want her. Now. I want to take my sword and rid the place of the the people that prevent me from claiming her at this moment. An eternity passes, but for them it is nothing, and finally the applause I've been waiting for pulsates all around me.

They descend the theater steps and move to congratulate her and slip denarai into her pouch. She looks up and smiles at me but I don't go down to her. Tonight she will ascend to me. She will climb and beg for my touches; the soft caresses that only she can bring forth from within me. Her audience disperses somewhat and I think I can hear her graciously accepting their platitudes even though she has had to endure it every time. She looks up again; her eyes question me. I have not left my spot and she seems a little perturbed about having to endure those steps to greet me. Tonight must have been more profitable than most nights. I can see that her purse is completely filled. Good. Tonight, and hopefully for a few nights, we can sleep in a bed and not on the cold ground.

I am brought out of my thoughts when she finally begins to climb; and this is a performance in itself. She is sauntering upwards, exaggerating her bosom, the rhythm of her steps. Of their own accord, my hands ball up into fists , a growl escapes me when she pirouettes to reveal her body to me.

'Gabrielle.'

She steps up to me and moves her body in close. 'Why don't we find someplace more discreet,' she says as she attempts to take my hands.

I take her hands instead and let my own run up the length of her arms until our finger tips are barely touching. 'Not tonight, at least not now.'

She is startled when I easily lift her up. I turn to the last row of steps, just missing a column, and easily jump to the area behind the theater. The small hilltop is covered with grass, olive trees and smaller shrubs; we are away from the illumination of the city surrounding us. I shift her in my arms so she is able to put her legs around my waist. My lips find their way home and I make my presence known to her. I am hungry--and hard--for her tonight; she needs to feel it within her--my craving. I need to take her to heights beyond even my own imagination.

After only a few steps I drop to my knees, bringing her with me as my mouth continues to devour my meal. She is moaning low, deep within her throat, and this almost quadruples the fervor of my need. I push her so she is on her back; opening her legs is easy. We are still fully clothed but this doesn't bother me at this moment. First I want her pleasure, maybe after that I'll be more likely to please.

'Xena...can we slow....oh, gods.'

I press my full weight on her. 'I need this...don't try to fool me, woman. I saw you on the stage.' I grind against her. 'You were teasing me, weren't you? Oh, Gabrielle what you do to me with your coquettish ways.' I run my hands between us, lifting her skirt to reveal her undergarments; they annoy me so I just rip them from her body. 'You are my seductress, my temptress; the muse that inflames my soul and body.'

She doesn't respond and my urgency increases. 'Give it to me...please...'

'Never.'

I position my body so I am on my knees. I grab the back of her knees and pull her up towards me. 'Relinquish.' My voice is hoarse and shaking with need.

She is aloof tonight; in rare form. I can barely hold back as my mind tries to break through the confusion she has created. Growling, I pull her further up my body and put her legs on my shoulders, bent at the knees. Her sex is so close to my mouth, the aroma so tantalizing, that my own hips jerk forward.

'I'll eat you alive, Gabrielle.' I can barely recognize my own voice. Her shoulders are just below my knees and she looks up at me, her emerald eyes teasing in the most provocative way. 'Prove it, Xena.' She is purring now and it sends my senses to the stars. I throw my head back and howl into to night.

Urgently, I plunge down into her sex, my tongue caressing her inner folds. I bring my arms completely around her waist to support her. She is everything, and yet nothing, I remember. Spice, earth, and the essence of Gabrielle herself fills my nostrils. A blaze of color flashes before my eyes as my tongue draws lazy circles around her hardened bud.

'Ah, faster, please...faster...'

I have her attention now and now I am dripping my own sweet juices on her back. My body moves back and forth as I make love to her. My own need for contact is growing but I manage to control myself. I am like a maddened lioness after the kill; feeding desperately and relentlessly on my prey. My teeth bite into her and she cries out her passion. For hours I feed upon her honey; her heady aroma quenching a arduous need within. I remove my tongue from her core and suck on her bud, it hardens even more and this brings her to the pinnacle of her pleasure.

'Oh, Xena!!!' She is sweating, panting; her hands dig into the soft earth.

Now my own need takes over. Crying out, I drop my bard on her back and frantically try to get on top of her. I don't know if it is me or her that is whimpering now. Reaching down, I rip my undergarment off and lift up my battle skirt in one move. Blindly, I begin humping her, hoping to find contact with her own mound. She shifts slightly and finally I feel what I need. My groans are uncontrollable as my hips pump furiously into hers. She is speaking but my own lust is so strong I cannot hear her voice. The only reality I know is the feel of her mound against my own, my head thrown back, and the constant panting that must be coming from me.

She is completely naked and resting in my arms. I have overwhelmed her tonight and both of us know it. Will she thank me in the morning? My mind is humming with questions and I am unable to relax enough to sleep. It will be dawn soon and the third day of the festival will begin. My body shudders at all the remaining possibilities.

Continued In Part 3