Alternative Content Warning: This story also contains scenes of a loving relationship between two women.

Uber Warning: This story is an uber. The two characters are based off of the leading ladies of XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS.

Author's Notes: This is the fourth and final installment to my 'Tribe' series. If you would like to see more, let me know. All POSITIVE comments are welcome. Negatives I will simply ignore. Send your thoughts to startrek@ellijay.com.

Part 4

I took my time strolling through my village this morning. The sun was just rising. My warriors were still uneasy. It has been three months since the 'battle for our people' occurred, as it has now been named. The painted people have disappeared from our land, which is the way I want it. My father still feels he should go after our enemy and crush them. I am ashamed to say I agree with him, but I felt it was not necessary. My wife and the others speak little of their experience with them. I still feel pleasure from releasing an arrow into my wife's captor.

Golden Sun is walking towards me in the light of the rising sun. I stop and let her come to me. Her transformation is breathtaking. She is a warrior now. I have taught her many things over the last few moons. Though she is not decorated, she is proud. Just as my mate should be. Garland does not wish the throne. She has made that quite clear.

As she moves closer, I notice for the first time she is holding something behind her back. I smile at her and she smiles back. "What is that?" I asked.

"A gift.....For you."

"Gift?" She brings from behind her back something that makes me proud, a Hondon. The bird had been struck expertly in the neck with an arrow. "You kill?"

"Yes." I took the catch by the feet and examined it. It was a female that had been in good health. Many warriors have found sick or injured birds and simply killed them, but this bird had been killed the honorable way, the Talone way. I handed the bird back after plucking the feather from directly in the middle of the bird's back. I walked around to her back. I grabbed one of the twines from within her hair and interlaced it with the feather, centering it.

"There are older warriors who have never killed the Hondon and do not have the skill to ever do so." I commented. She nods. "I love you, Golden Sun." I placed my arm around her back and we continued my walk together.

My people have come to accept her as part of the royal family. Her mother seems to walk a little more arrogantly now. We pass by the hut owned by her brother, the trader. She places her catch at his door. He is not allowed out among the village except for food. It is the highest punishment, aside from death, that a Talone can receive, isolation. We walk towards the stables where I grab the reins of my stallion and her mare. We swing ourselves onto their backs and ride down the second wooded trail.

Suddenly Garland twists her upper body around, looking behind her. "Dark Sky." I rein my horse and turn him around to face them.

"What is it?"

"Listen." I smiled. She heard it before I did. We were being followed. By someone rather careless in their actions. No warrior of mine. She turned her horse around to face the noisy intruder. I motioned for her follow me off of the trail. We sat and waited as the person got closer and closer. I saw her reach for her bow. My hand had gone to my knife. The man stumbled down the trail. He was painted. I noticed a large gash in the man's arm. Garland became uneasy. I placed my hand on her thigh to calm her. We waited until the man was no longer near us. "Kalla?" she whispered. I glanced around, listening. Both horses began to fidget. They were nearing. More of them.

"Come." I said quickly and heeled my horse. Just as we returned to trail and headed back, faces began to appear out of the trees. The enemy. They were all around. I kept Garland at my side as best I could as we tried to get back to the village.

I heard the swift, unmistakable sound of a spear. I turned my head and saw my wife fall off her horse. I stopped mine instantly. I leaped down and ran to her. She was lying on her side. "Garland." I searched frantically for the weapon, finding none. I removed the hand that was holding her side. Blood greeted me.

"Ahhhhh!" I heard the man come from the bushes. I lept over my wife and tackled the painted man. Wrenching his battle club from his hand, two swift strikes to his head made him no more. Two more ran for me. I stood and ran to intercept them. Throwing the club, I struck the first man. The second was struck down with an arrow. I turned to see Golden Sun with her bow. Despite the blood staining her shirt, she was standing. I also saw another painted man lying were I had left her. I ran to my wife.

"Dark Sky." she said weakly as she collapsed into my arms.

I swept her up and carried her to my horse. I heard the drum chants coming from everywhere. I managed to get her onto my horse and swing myself up, holding my love as I took the reins.

"Ahhh!" I kicked my horse on. I needed to get my wife to the village before I lose her. This I could not bare. I ducked as a short spear flew over my head. Two men ahead blocked our path. I felt Garland pull my knife. Just as we neared and the man to our right tried to pull her off, Golden Sun sliced his hand easily. I smiled inwardly and kissed her head. I taught her well. We were getting closer still.

As we neared the borders, I gave a loud warning cry. My warriors came to greet us as the entire village surrounded us. Alla and Asa helped me with my wife as I got her down from my stallion. I shrugged off all help as I carried her to the healer. My people watched with great concern as they saw their queen carrying her mate.

All had gathered when I was done with my wife. Alla handed me my headdress. I slipped it on my way to my platform. All were waiting. I raised my arm and all were quiet. I breathed deeply to calm my raging blood. I lowered my arm. "The painted men attacked us in the forest and injured my wife!" My anger was clearly shown in my actions. "They are coming. We will fight our enemy!" The warriors showed their approval. Looked over to see my father in the crowd of Talone. His expression was one of agreement, yet not arrogance. He simply nodded his head in acknowledgment.

Painted for war once again, we placed all of the commoners and children into the center of the village. I ordered that all tree platforms be manned. I knew we could defeat these painted people, but I did not want my warriors to die in the process. We had a considerable advantage over them. They do not have bows. I climbed the nearest tree platform and watched the forest. I am the queen of the Talone, but I am a warrior. Alla will lead from the ground through my signals. The men were nowhere to be seen. The cowards. Still I wait. It was not long before I heard a warrior climbing my tree. I poise my bow over the edge and aim at the intruder. I was surprised that it was my wife. I smiled as I saw her face was painted in our family's colors, reversed of course from my own paint. Her face was red to her nose, then black. I grabbed her hand and helped her up. She had not been badly injured, but she was still injured. "Go back, Love." I gesture. "You should be resting."

"No. I am your wife. My place is by your side, fighting for you. If you fall, I will fall with you." I sighed heavily. She was right. If I were to die in battle, I want to die with her. I am that loyal to her and her to me. I reach out and tenderly kiss her on the lips.

"Rest here." I say as I return to my watch. She leans against me and rests her eyes.

Soon my wife awoke. She took up watch at one side and I took the other. "Kalla." she gestures and aims her bow at moving leaves on the ground. I crawl over to her and look. There was indeed something down there, but what I could not tell. I reach over and picked one of the Mako fruit from the nearest branch. Hard to the touch, they hurt especially from great height. I carefully take aim. I heard the creak of Garland's bow as she pulls the arrow back even further, ready. With a grunt, I threw the fruit at the ground. We both heard the human yell that came. The painted man lept to his feet holding his back. A sharp hiss through my teeth signaled her to fire. Garland released her arrow, striking the man in the chest.

Six more men lept from the bushes. Two arrows came from another tree and took two more out. I grabbed my bow and proceeded to fire on the remaining men. More men ran into view. My wife and I continued to fire, hitting every target. A strange battle cry came from the painted men. There were far too many to stop with four warriors. They were getting past us, heading for the village. Garland saw the man before I did. He had climbed our tree. Golden Sun engaged him before he could stick a knife into my side. I dropped my bow and immediately helped my wife dispose of him. More men stood at our platform looking up. "Grab him." I breathed. We both rolled him to the edge and threw him off. He landed squarely on top of his men. As we looked down, we saw more than we can count. "Take the vine and swing down. Head for the village. Tell Alla to shift the warriors to the north side." She nodded and placed her bow on her back. I kissed her quickly. "I love you. Be careful."

"I love you, Kalla." We shared a quick glance, conveying all we needed to say. I placed another arrow on my bow string. I followed my wife as she swung expertly to the ground. She broke into a dead run. I fired and killed the man in her path. I readied again and followed her until she was out of sight. I swung my bow around and took out another man on the ground.

I looked to the platform near us. It was now occupied by the painted men. I watched as one man tried to clumsily use the bow that he had stolen. None had the skill to use it properly. I saw my dead warriors lying next to him. The noise below me signaled another man was climbing up. With a swift shove of my foot, he tumbled back down to the ground. They were closing in.

I stabbed the man with Kalla's gift to me, her mother's knife. The battle was already under way as I tried my best to reach the village. My side is bleeding again. I am sure of it. When I jumped onto a painted woman, I reopened the wound. I had no idea there were this many painted people. I breathed a sigh of relief as I neared the village and saw many of the Talone fighting to keep it safe. They protected me on sight from the men that tried to hurt me and ushered me through to the village. Black Bear stayed at my side until I was well into the village and away from the fighting. "Wait here." He stopped immediately without question. I ran to the command hut. "ALLA!" Upon seeing me, he jogged until he met me. "The queen says to shift the warriors to the north side." I gestured from where I just came from. "They are charging us. Several posts have been lost." He nodded and yelled the directions to the runners.

I turned and started back. "Where are you going?"

"To get my queen." I said without turning around. As I neared the village border again, there were many painted men still fighting. I was pleased to see most of the bodies were theirs, not Talone. Black Bear moved away off to my right as I made my way through to the forest again. I made it back to our post. I looked up to see my wife was gone. There were several bodies lying where we stood watch earlier. As I ducked weapons and moved, I tried to think in which direction she would have gone.

I did not have to make that decision because I heard her war cry in the distance. I ran towards it. A man leaped out in my path. With a swift blow from the club I had just stolen, I moved around him. Then I saw her. The painted men were all converging on her. They knew her to be our leader. I gripped the club tighter and moved to help my mate. "Ahhhhh!" I lept onto the man with the spear and began to beat him as another grabbed my arm. This man struck me in my injured side, causing to roll off of the still man. The man the raised his spear and took aim. I looked up to his face. As he came down, I rolled away. I stood quickly, ready to fight. To my relief, there was an arrow sticking out of his back. I looked around, not seeing any Talone. Yet there was an arrow in his back.

I was grabbed roughly. I wrenched away from the hand on my shoulder, bringing my weapon around. She caught it easily. "Dark Sky." I placed myself in her arms. As I pulled back, I noticed the thin line of blood running from her hair to her chin. She also noticed my injury as she brought up her palm, now stained with my blood.

"Come. I am taking you back."

"You need me." I said.

"You need help." she countered. I was not about to admit my sleepiness. I was losing blood.

We ran through the thick bushes towards the village. The battle was coming to an end. We had to jump over fallen men as we moved. The Talone were driving them away. My wife dropped to the ground. I stopped. "Kalla?" I knelt beside her. I watched as she grabbed her knee. I looked back and saw the trap she had stepped into. "Come." I pulled her up by her elbow. She braced herself against me.

"Go." she hissed in pain. "You cannot carry me."

"I am not leaving you, Wife." I was uncertain as to whether I had the strength to help her home, but if I did not we are going to die here.

We moved slowly, but we were moving. We both looked up to see a man in our path. We both stopped. An elaborate headdress was on his head, along with decorations all along his body. I gripped my wife a little tighter. I knew this man. I am almost certain he was friends with my captor. He said nothing as he held up an arrow, Dark Sky's arrow. Only her's and mine have black and red feather shafts. My arrow has a red ring around the center, Kalla's a black ring. That arrow was Kalla's. She knew as I did that arrow came from the body of my captor. We watched as he broke the arrow in two. I had to restrain my love. He threw the pieces to the ground. Kalla tried to free herself from my grasp. "Kalla, you are hurt." She is not able to stand on her injured leg. The man smiled, taunting my queen to fight him. "I will fight for you." I said as I looked up into her eyes.

"No."

"Yes." I helped her sit down. I took my bow from my back. I took my arrows from my back. I drew my knife. I bowed to my queen and mate.

I turned and faced the man. He had no weapons. He took a step forward. I did know him. He was the friend of my captor. They took great joy in tormenting me. I will take joy in killing him. He charged. We collided with great force. I screamed as his weight came down onto my injured body. I looked over to Dark Sky. It was over. She was confused. I shoved the large man off of me, freeing my knife from his chest. She smiled and crawled over to me. I held my side as I sat up. In his haste, he did not see me switch the knife into my left hand before he pounced.

I struggled to my feet, pulling Dark Sky with me. As we stood, we noticed three men, weapons ready. We both looked around nervously. As they put their weapons close to our throats, we shared a look. To my surprise, she smiled. That is when I noticed the three painted men were completely surrounded, by Talone. They exchanged glances upon seeing the expression on my wife's face. She pointed. They looked around to see ten of Dark Sky's warriors. They dropped their spears and ran.

Fox Tail brought us a horse to ride the distance back home. Kalla was in pain, though she would never voice it. I too am hurting, but I am also happy. Arriving back at the village, we were told only six Talone died today. Unarmed painted men were picking up their dead and leaving. I went into the healer's hut to see my wife. I sat down next to her as she rested. "I love you." she said. I smiled. "You are a true warrior, Wife." That was the greatest honor to receive, to be told by the leader that you are great. I am proud to be her mate.

"As are you. You are a wise leader, Dark Sky." I faint smile graced her face. "I love you."

My wife is not one to rest even when she is hurt. I watch her from across the main fire. Our faces are both damp from the removal of our war paint. She is tired. We both are. It was a long, hard battle. She is stringing a new bow. I sit with my thoughts of my capture. I do not know if the other wives ever spoke of the painted men. I have not. It will only upset her to know I was beaten with the fists and weapons of my captor and his friend. I am lost in thought. I did not see my wife move from her space and sit beside me until her hand grazed my knee. "You alright?" she asked. I nod.

"Thinking."

"About them?"

"Yes."

"Tell me." she said quietly. I swallow hard. They are dead now.

"The man I killed today...." She nodded. "beat me with his spear." I said softly. I turned my head and watched my leader intently. Now she knew the origin of the welts that were on my back when I came home. I expected an angry reaction, but got none. She sighed heavily.

"He will never touch you again." Her arm came around my back. "You have seen to that." she comforted. She held me as we stared into the flames.

It was a warm night. Kalla was not wearing her leggings or shirt. I turned my head and watched her face until she met my gaze. I lifted her chest armor over her head, revealing her chest to me. I leaned forward and ran my tongue over a nipple, causing a shaking in my love's body. Only I can do that. Her large hands removed my shirt. We needed each other tonight. The battle was won. The tribe is safe. I needed my wife to calm my soul.

I reached down and removed her breechcloth. As I moved her to her back, I was careful not to hurt her injured leg. Her hands ran down my bare sides, over the cloth covering my wound. She was gentle. I opened my mouth and passionately kissed her, keeping my hands buried in her hair. I knew we both should be resting, but we were not going to. I share some traits with my wife, stubbornness being one of them. My wife was wet. I felt it as I grinded against her. I reached down and shifted my breechcloth to the side, connecting us. "Garland." Her eyes squeezed tightly shut. I moved down her beautiful body. She moaned louder and louder. Kalla screamed as I ran my tongue over her center, tasting her. "Ohhhh." I smiled. Only I can do that, make her moan. Even though I do not hold the rights to the throne, I still have remarkable power, over my mate. I thrusted my tongue into her. She screamed again. I revel in the power I possess. As another scream ripped from my wife's throat, I knew I had done my job as she contracted against me.

As Dark Sky's breathing returned to normal, she reached for me. I stopped her. "You are tired. Rest."

"Garland...."

"Rest." I repeated. I reached down and removed my leggings and breechcloth. I rested my body on my wife's.

I awoke to a tapping on the side of the royal hut. I rub my eyes and kiss my wife's head as I gently coax her off of me, wincing when I move my leg. I wrap the furs around her bare body. I grab my cloth and wrap it around my waist. I throw on my discarded shirt and limp towards the door. I move out into the bright morning sun to see my father.

"What?" I make no effort to hide my gruffness.

"I am sorry to disturb to you, Daughter. Will you walk with me?"

"You have never done so before. Why now?" I ask angrily. He does not answer. I begin to limp beside him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I stepped into a dure trap." He winced. A dure trap was a hole in the ground. When stepped in, it triggers a branch to lash out at your enemy's legs. That particular one struck my knee. I have no idea whether it was ours or theirs.

"How is Golden Sun?" I looked at him, not believing the sincerity I saw in his eyes.

"She is fine."

After a moment of silence, I could not stop myself from asking. "What is it, Father? What do you want of me?"

"Kalla, sit." We sat on the log near us. "I want to tell you something." I watched my father's eyes. They reveal all of his emotion. I learned that as a child. "During the battle, I saw something that amazed me."

"What?"

"I saw your mother's spirit." he smiled.

"Where?"

"In you." I remained silent. "As I watched you defeat our enemy, I realized how very much like her you are." I turned away. "Your mother was a wise woman."

"You told me she was foolish." I spat.

"No, I am the foolish one, Kalla. You are the rightful leader of the Talone and not just by birth. You are your mother's daughter." I chose not to say anything. He stood. "I am sorry, Daughter. I loved Ana very much." I looked up. He turned around. I stood sharply, pulling an arrow from his back. He turned to face me and saw me examining the arrow. I met my father's eyes.

"This is your arrow?" He nodded. "It was you." I said. His eyes dropped to the ground for a moment.

"Yes."

"You saved Golden Sun." Once again he nodded slowly. "Why?"

"She is your wife."

"She is common."

"She is Talone." he countered. I watched as my father walked back towards the warriors' huts.

"Father." I called out. He stopped and turned around. "Thank you." I never thought I would say those words again to my father. He surprised me when he took me in his arms.

"I am proud of you, Dark Sky." Very rarely did he use my earned name. I found myself smiling at him. He was putting his hate behind him. Whatever he saw in the battle yesterday, I wish all of my people could see it. I began to limp back towards my hut. He placed his strong arm around me. "Rest, Daughter."

We received strange glances as my father and I walked the short distance back. Golden Sun greeted us at the door. Her hand went to her knife. "Kalla."

"It is alright." I moved from his shoulder to hers and she helped me down onto the sleeping furs. I watched them as they watched each other. My wife was scared.

"Golden Sun." I was surprised to see the head bow.

"Mondon." she returned.

"Sit." I said to both. Garland moved to me and Father sat across from us.

My father, my wife, and I talked, without yelling. Something I would never have foreseen. My mother was a powerful leader, so was my father. Though he ruled in his own way, my people never went hungry, never died of extreme sickness, and never lacked for the necessities of life. The future for the Talone is always an uncertain one. With combined wisdom, it can be a bright one as well.

THE END.....(Maybe)

Let me know what you think.