Another winning story by Lariel. She is a first class writer who writes about situations and emotions and plights and conditions that other authors write about - except she does it so much better. Her composition reads like a story one would have to pay for in a store. Very talented bard. This offers up a very sound and significant thread of Xena and Gabrielle's journey which is, what motivated Gabrielle to leave the security, and love of her home, albeit boring, life and follow a known dangerous - and deadly - woman warrior. In the capable hands of Lariel we learn what a Renaissance woman Gabrielle really is. - kazy - Sep-11-2011   

i agree with kazy.. she has said it all.. oh yeah, one more thing.. this story is highly recommended.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

xena my not be a bard but she sure has beautifull thoughts.. very charming and sweet story.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

Very sincere and reflective feelings from Xena about her Gabrielle. Well written and relevant to Xena canon. This is just one of three that Lariel wrote. I was able to get the second one by adding "2" to the url but the third one didn't take. She has all three vignettes I believe on her Dreamcatching site. Also this should be designated as an alternative not general. Granted there is no sex but Xena's musings over Gabrielle go beyond the limits of friendship. Profound claims of intense connectiveness that are of soulmates. - kazy - Mar-24-2012   

Powerful. Disturbing. Unquestionably a different angle on the relationship the two characters share. It bears the gritty realism of a dark emotional co-dependancy, and gives me the willies when I think of how Gabrielle might have felt obliged to stay. Very well written. - Anonymous - Mar 22nd, 2002   

That was awful. I don't like your take on their relationship - Lisa - Apr 16th, 2002   

Turning Xena into a rapist without benefit of a plot was far too dirty...had she been possessed or crazy with anger or grief I could see it I did like the premise of Xena being soft when it comes to losing her bard but come on she doesn't want to lose her friend then she turns around and hurts her..doesn't make sense writer should think before writing! - solari - Jul 9th, 2002   

Now, I am biased because I know Lariel quite well now. But even before meeting and working with her, I was always impressed at the chances she took, and the way she never repeated herself. She's certainly written a dozen stories where X+G are in a loving relationship, but this story was a different take, and it certainly has nothing to do with rape. I could never have written this story, but isn't that the point? That we don't limit writers, because sometimes the most powerful and effective writing comes from finding a new perspective. This story confirms that. - Kamouraskan - Oct 22nd, 2002   

I disagree with lisa's comment - the story is very well written and has a unique take on the relationship. It is not how i view xe and gab, but it is a good and thought provoking short story. - GraceH - Nov 28th, 2002   

wow, this is powerful. definitely not an ordinary tale, good that it's short too - the point made and idea planted - amazing! usually love is not like that but thank you Lariel for showing the different types of it. - Katrina - Jan 2nd, 2004   

Well, after reading the story and the other comments made, I can officially say I don't know what to think. On the one hand, very well written, thought provoking and somewhat horrifying. On the other hand, I can't say that I like the idea of Gabrielle feeling obligated to have a sexual relationship with Xena. Though this is definitely not my take on their relationship, I can see where it is a valid view point, and it makes me wonder if the author, at one time, felt obligated to submit to something she truly did not wish to. That thought saddens me, because it seems like a very lonely way to live. At any rate, I don't find it my place to set judgement on anyone, especially someone brave enough to post something that they had to know would be very controversial in the Xenaverse. Rabid sub-texters, I'm sure, are turning red and digging their nails into their desks, even as I make this comment. Unfortunately, that means that many will judge this story unfairly, but then, it's all about personal taste, isn't it? - Anonymous - Jan 3rd, 2004   

One anonymous to another, this is to the other post. I'm a huge subtexter and I read this, you know I liked it. Sometimes it gets tiring reading the same thing over and over. Xena looks at Gabrielle, I love you Xena. I love you too Gabrielle then they fall between one another's thighs and screw like bunnies happily ever after. It was nice to read something that was different and surprising. Very good on you to do something original and follow a beat to a different drummer. JMTC. - Anonymous - Jan 7th, 2004   

Judgements on Xena and Gabrielle's relationship (in your minds people, remember that) and suppositions on the writer's own past miss the beauty of this story. I think this is a great work. The quality of the writing is exceptional, wish I found it more often. This is an original subject for this forum. And then especially for me it touched a very sensitive point as I have a fear not of being the victim but the subconscious aggressor.Thank you Lariel, for writing a piece which touched me. - Anonymous - Jan 14th, 2004   

I enjoyed this story very much and I thought the writing was excellent. Lariel should be publishing her own works - sorry, if she already has and I don't know. Contrary to what others have said in their comments, I think her take on Xena is keeping very much with canon and how the TV show depicted her. As we saw from the show, prior to her "change", she was a sociopath - she took what she wanted, maimed, killed, pillaged, used sex as a weapon and for pleasure. I know a lot of people view Xena and Gabrielle's relationship through the lens of a Harlequin romance novel and through their own notions of what they want in a relationship - but that reflects a 20th century way of thinking about relationships - and it's a luxury people did not have back during a time where they struggled more with having enough food to eat or having a roof over thier heads or worrying about the next warlord to come along who was going to take away everyhing you had which was probably not very much. The fact of the matter is, Xena is a very dark soul, filled with rage and aggression that can easily go from battlefield to bedroom, living during a time where violence was the norm. All that anger and brutality just doesn't go away just because she redirects it toward "the greater good". It's still there within her. While others feel she has changed and would not treat Gabrielle so brutally, there were no 12 step programs for people with violent tendencies like Xena or anger management classes to control her urges of rage and it makes more sense that a woman with her history, with her rage and brutal warrior tendencies, living in such a violent and "survival of the strongest" environmental culture, would have that violence bleed over into her personal relatioship with Gabrielle. That's why I thought "the rift" depicted on the show was realistic and keeping very much within Xena's personality. Kudos to Lariel for showing us a possibly more realistic portrayal of the Xena and Gabrielle relationship. - Karon Reiter - Jan 9th, 2005   

Very differnt. Well written but an angle I've never seen before. I would like to know what season this is set in. That might help explain it a bit more. I would think 2nd but I could be wrong. This really is something to ponder. Read and form your own opinion but please don't flame the bard. - Amanda - Sep-05-2008   

It takes guts to write something like this and then post it on-line where anybody can read it and either bash the story and the author or thank her for writting something so different and thought provoking. I liked it, it does get old reading about xena and gabrielle falling in love and everything is happily ever after. My only complaint is that I would have read Xena's thoughts the day/morning after. - d - Sep-09-2008   

Some of the reviewer's said rape, but I don't think so. Too me, Gabrielle was willing just wasn't sure if it was right for her. The story read to me like Gabrielle was afraid that Xena was going to take her will to life away. All in all it was an intriguing piece but I do wish the author would have wrote more. I feel like I'm missing a great deal of knowledge as to why Gabrielle would feel that way about Xena. - Ami - Nov-08-2008   

There seems to be a lot of upheaval over this story. I'm not gonna take the R-word in the mouth because I strongly believe this story wasn't about that. This author painted with words, and a painting will always look different to each pair of eyes that study it. - Anonymous - Dec-09-2009   

I've not rated this story cause I honestly don't know if I liked it or not. The fact is that it totally has the right to be here. Many of the other read go further than that and I wasn't utterly disturbed by this one. Let's say I don't like the idea developed here, but it' no big deal. Well written though - yuka - Dec-21-2010   

A darker well written look at our favorite duo. - Lysia - Apr-23-2011   

normally i read all the comments a story gets.. not this time though.. there was no point to it, since most readers went off on a rant whether or not this is what the relationship between xena and gabrielle was about.. imho this story is beautifull, well written from a completely different and also unsuspected angle.. i loved the analogy between the two cages.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

this story put a smile on my face.. both the warrior and the bard have some interesting ways to fill a day off.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

definitely a weird and unexpected story but really good
the ending gave me shivers - Anonymous - Sep-03-2009   

having read 'the muses retreat' before reading this story, i already know the ending more or less.. the greater good definitely gets a totally new meaning in this story.. oh yeah, this is an uber by the way.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

this was definitely a treat.. great story.. how xena could ever be reincarnated into joxer's body, is something i'll never understand.. guess the writers for the show did have no idea whatsoever about genetics.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

this story is sooo funny you'll be LOL. it's irrevalent, with a sense of humor that goes beyond saucy, witty and charming. this sory has a sequel, but i don't see it listed here. i've read both several times and i still chuckle at how the author is able to poke fun at the characters. any chance for another one? - vicam - Oct-07-2010   

really love the gumboots series.. according to the author there should be a third story as well, but i haven't been able to find it.. the characters are still xena and gabrielle but not as such.. confusing?? read the first story, get hooked and then go to this address to read the sequel: http://web.archive.org/web/20040116094051/http://dreamcatching.netfirms.com/xena/gumboots2.htm - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

really funny story.. and in the good tradition of 'been there, done that' it involves.. turnips! here's where you can find the story, cause the link on this site is broken.. http://web.archive.org/web/20040116050132/http://dreamcatching.netfirms.com/xena/hanging.htm - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

beautiful story depicting how grown ups talk to infants.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

This bard not only gave me an enjoyable story but helped me clear up some of the angst in my personal life. Very entertaining presentation of issues often skirted over. Especially liked the remark about needing our justice to be black and white. I'm more comfortable about 'not understanding' and am letting go of 'needing to understand'. My employment has me in contact with various news/entertainment media daily. I totally related to Taylor's struggle with her job and self and what to divulge in her writing. Sometimes the media's rush to feed the public's desire to know occurs more like vultures swooping in for morsels with no regard for the consequences of their actions. - suzz - Oct 15th, 2003   

good story... - jac - Dec 5th, 2004   

good story... - jac - Dec 5th, 2004   

this is a very cleverly written uber.. well worth the read.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

This is a really quirky story. I'm not going to describe it. You need to read it and make up your own mind. I first read this as part of a 'Twilight Zone' challenge, so it should give you a clue about the twist within the story. Interesting read. - Lyn B - Apr-30-2011   

broken link - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011   

i'd say they're both clueless.. lol.. - xtra dog - Nov-15-2011