MOUNTAIN QUEST

DISCLAIMER: The characters Xena and Gabrielle, along with others who have appeared in the TV series XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS, are the sole property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. Their use in this story does not constitute the author's intent to make a profit or otherwise infringe on the existing copyright. The interpretation of the characters in this story is purely the author's own. Copyright for this fanfiction held by Eva Allen, March 1998.

Constructive criticism and/or unadulterated praise are always welcome! Write to me at emallen@earthlink.net.

BE ADVISED: This story includes the depiction of sex between two consenting adult women. If this offends you, please find something else to read!

VIOLENCE DISCLAIMER: No more than in the average XWP episode.

Xena opened her eyes sometime later, surprised to find herself staring up at the thatch of Elkton's cottage. Apparently, she wasn't dead after all. The room was darker than it had been earlier. A dying fire gave little light, but on the table, an oil lamp and several candles burned cheerfully. There was a faint, acrid odor in the air which Xena could not identify. Her ears took in the soft crackle of the fire and the lowing of a cow out in the yard. But except for these sounds, all was silence.

Turning her head to the side, she saw Gabrielle sitting on the floor nearby, her knees drawn up to her chest and her head resting on them. The golden hair spilled down, hiding her face. Xena slipped her hand out from under the sheepskin that still covered her and touched her lover's arm. "Gabrielle," she said quietly.

The bard lifted her head and smiled. She said nothing, but the joy in her eyes spoke volumes.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Gabrielle said, and took Xena's hand in hers. "How are you feeling?"

"Quite a bit better. It's amazing how much difference it makes being able to breathe."

Gabrielle's smile widened and she squeezed Xena's hand. "How's your arm?" she asked.

"My arm?" Xena considered for a moment. "Well, now that you mention it, it hurts."

"That's good, Xena! Pain is good! It means that the feeling came back." Gabrielle reached out and uncovered the warrior's right arm. "Can you move it?" she asked.

Xena raised her arm slowly, cautiously flexing her fingers. "It's a little stiff, but it shouldn't take long to get it back in shape," she said with a grin. Then, raising the arm slightly higher, she studied the bandage just above her elbow. "What have you done to me?" she asked.

"Oh. That's where I cut your arm to drain the venom out. I haven't stitched it yet, so be careful. I wanted to make sure every drop of venom was o ut first."

"Good idea," said Xena as she rested her arm again on the pallet. "Where's Elkton?"

"Good," said Xena, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Help me get dressed before he comes back."

Gabrielle put her hands on the warrior's shoulders. "Xena, are you sure you feel like sitting up?" she asked. "Not very long ago, you were lying here practically dead, you know."

"I know, but I really feel much stronger now," said Xena. "I'll be fine. It's not like I'm going to do flips or anything, and I promise to lie down again if I get tired." She grinned and pulled Gabrielle close for a quick kiss.

"Okay," said the bard with a smile of surrender, "but don't overdo it." She reached for Xena's leathers and helped the warrior put them on. Then, kneeling behind her, she began lacing the garment up.

It seemed to take her longer than usual, and by the time the laces were tied, Xena could feel that her lover's hands were trembling. "Gabrielle, what's wrong?" she asked, turning her head to look behind her.

Gabrielle didn't answer, but instead wrapped her arms tightly around Xena and buried her face in the warrior's dark hair. Xena felt rather than heard the sobs that shook the bard's body.

"Hey," she said softly, and pried Gabrielle's hands loose. Turning around, she put a hand under the young woman's chin and lifted her face to the light. "What's going on?" she asked. "Why are you crying?"

"I was so scared," Gabrielle said in a low voice. "I thought I was going to lose you."

Xena put her arms around her lover and pulled her close. "I know, Sweetheart, but it's all over now," she said, gently stroking the red-gold hair. "Somehow we squeaked through again, and we're both still alive and kicking, so let's just enjoy that, shall we?"

Gabrielle tightened her hold on Xena and pressed her face against the warrior's neck. "I really thought I could let you go," she said. "I accepted that you were dying, but I just wanted to touch you. And when you responded to my touch, I started hoping again. Then you had that orgasm and I really thought you were going to be all right." She stopped speaking and pulled away to look at Xena. "But after that, you just quit breathing and I couldn't find any pulse. "I thought--" She swallowed hard. "I thought you were dead," she finished in a whisper.

"I guess I was," Xena said quietly, as she pulled Gabrielle into her arms again. "Or at least I almost was. I got as far as the banks of the Styx, but I didn't cross over."

"Ares?" said Gabrielle, looking up. "I suppose he offered to save you if you would just come back to him."

"You've got it," Xena said with a grin. "He told me I was going to Tartarus and that I'd never see you again. He said I might as well come conquer the world with him, since I was going to Tartarus anyway."

"It is. I think he was just trying to scare me. Anyway, I told him I'd rather die than go back to him." She paused long enough to kiss the top of Gabrielle's head. "And I also told him that even if I was separated from you forever, I would still carry your love in my heart."

"Yes, Xena!" Gabrielle said, sitting up again. "That's exactly what I was trying to tell you. I kept saying it over and over, but I didn't know if you could hear me."

"I did, I heard you. I guess I just didn't realize until that moment how true it was. At any rate, as soon as I said that to Ares, I started hearing your voice again, and it was like I was being pulled back to you." She smiled and reached out to wipe the remaining tears off her lover's face.

"Xena, after you came back," Gabrielle said, hesitating a little, "you had another orgasm. Did you know that?"

"Yeah, it was nice," she said with a half grin. "But that's the last thing I remember."

"Well, I knew you were going to be all right after that because the venom was just pouring out of you, and you were breathing normally again. I called Elkton in to help me, right at the end. That poor man. He was so worried about you, Xena. He was just sitting out there on the doorstep, looking so sad and praying. You should have seen his face light up when I told him you were going to live. He came inside and held your arm while I cut it to drain the venom. Then we burned everything. You can still smell it a little bit."

Gabrielle reached up to touch Xena's cheek. "I'm just so glad you're alive," she whispered.

"Me too," Xena said, leaning forward to kiss her lover. And as their lips melted together, she thought it was one of the sweetest kisses she had ever known. How long it lasted she wasn't sure, but the two women pulled apart when they heard a sound outside. They looked expectantly at the door, but it did not open, so after a moment Xena wrapped both arms around Gabrielle again. She held the young woman tightly against her, breathing in the warm scent of the gold hair. "It's nice to be able to hug with two arms," she murmured.

"Mmm-hmm," Gabrielle returned. "And it's also nice to be able to kiss you without worrying about whether I'm choking you."

Xena smiled into Gabrielle's hair and held her for several moments longer, then said, "I hate to break up this little love fest, but I just realized that I'm really thirsty. Do you think there's any water in the house?"

"Oh. Yeah, there is. Elkton brought in a couple of buckets of water from the well while we were cleaning up the venom. I'm sure there's some left. I'll get it for you." She scrambled up and went to the bucket sitting on the floor near the shelves that held Elkton's cooking supplies.

As soon as she was gone, Xena pulled herself slowly to her feet, moving somewhat stiffly, and holding onto one of the chair backs for support.

"Xena," Gabrielle said, as she brought the dripping dipper to the warrior, "I don't think--"

"Gabrielle, let me be the judge," Xena said, accepting the water. "I'm not going to stand for very long because I still feel a little shaky, but I'm not dizzy anymore. And I'm not going to pass out. I promise." She winked and then lifted the dipper to her mouth and quickly drained it.

"Okay," the bard said with a soft smile. "I guess I'm being a bit overprotective." She reached up to wipe away the water that dribbled down Xena's chin. "Want some more?"

"Anything for the Warrior Princess," Gabrielle said with a grin. But as she started back toward the bucket, the cottage door opened.

The women turned to see Elkton standing there, a basket of eggs in one hand and a bucket of milk in the other. "What a beautiful sight this is!" he said softly, smiling and shaking his head. He closed the door and crossed the room. Then, setting the eggs and milk on the table, he took the warrior's hand in both of his. "Xena!" he exclaimed. "You're looking much better!"

"This is like a miracle," he said, shaking his head again. "I really thought we would be standing by your funeral fire tonight."

"Yeah, well, I kind of thought the same thing," Xena said, grinning, "but sometimes things turn out better than you think they will. I owe you my life once again, Elkton. Mine and Gabrielle's. That's a debt I won't soon forget."

"No, no, no," he protested. "You don't owe me anything. There's the one you should thank," he said, nodding toward Gabrielle. "She saved you, not I. And you saved her up on the mountain. I've rarely seen such wonderful devotion between two people."

The young woman moved closer and put a hand on Elkton's shoulder. "It was your wisdom and knowledge that made everything possible, though," she said. "I think that's what Xena is talking about."

"Well, I'm just glad I could help," he said, reaching out to clasp Gabrielle's hand while still holding Xena's. He smiled broadly, first at one of them and then at the other. After a moment, he released their hands and quickly wiped his sleeve across his eyes. "Would you two like some milk?" he asked. "It's nice and fresh. How about you, Xena?"

"Let me just get a mug." He took a clay mug from the shelf, dipped it into the milk bucket, and handed it to the warrior.

"Mmm, it's so warm and sweet," Xena said, licking the milk off her upper lip. "It's not every day we get fresh milk. This is a real treat."

"Gabrielle, do you want some, too?" asked Elkton, already reaching for another mug.

"Yes, please!" she said, then slipped an arm around Xena's waist and said to her, "Why don't you sit down, Sweetheart? You just look a little unsteady to me."

Xena grinned and lowered herself into the chair Gabrielle pulled out. "My healer has spoken," she said. "I must obey."

Elkton laughed as he handed the mug of milk to Gabrielle, then stooped to roll up the pallet and lay it aside. "How about if I make us some supper?" he said. "Is anyone hungry?"

"You ought to be. You haven't eaten anything all day," said Gabrielle. "And I think I might be able to eat a little something myself," she added with a grin.

"Good," Elkton said, peering into the basket of eggs. "I could just scramble up these eggs with onions and maybe some cheese. Does that sound like something you could eat?"

"No, you just sit down," he said, waving her away. "I don't need any help, and you two should rest after all you've been through today. Here," he added, taking a loaf of dark bread from the shelf and unwrapping it. "This ought to keep you from starving until the eggs are ready." He set the bread on the table, along with a crock of butter and a small wooden paddle.

"Thanks, Elkton!" Xena exclaimed, seizing the bread and tearing off a sizable hunk. Then she held out the loaf to Gabrielle. "Sit down," she said. "Relax. Eat some bread."

The bard took the bread and held it thoughtfully for a moment. "I was just thinking," she said, "that if Elkton doesn't need my help, maybe I could go ahead and sew up your arm now. Or would you rather wait until after we eat?"

Xena shrugged. "Now's fine," she said, her mouth already full of rich, buttered bread. "Or later. I don't care."

"I think I'll do it now then," Gabrielle said, setting the bread on the table. "Elkton, where did you put our saddlebags when you brought them in?"

"I just left them on the floor by the bed," he said, then turned to the braided onions hanging from the rafter and cut two off.

Gabrielle looked around, seemingly confused. "Where's the bed?" she whispered to Xena.

"It's in the little room over there," the warrior said gesturing. "Just go through the curtained doorway."

The bard hurried away, and Xena reached for another piece of bread, then noticed Elkton's puzzled look.

"Gabrielle doesn't remember anything much that happened while she was under Ares' spell," she told him. "That's why she didn't know where the bedroom was."

The Mystic set the onions and a cutting board on the table, then pulled out a chair and sat down. "So she doesn't remember being here before? Or meeting me?"

"No, nothing before she ate the kaya leaves." Xena glanced up and smiled as Gabrielle returned with the sewing kit and a hairbrush. "I was just telling Elkton that you don't remember much of what happened after you were drugged."

"Yeah, that's right," Gabrielle said to Elkton with a sheepish grin. "It makes me feel kind of stupid, actually." She laid the pouch with the needle and thread on the table, then went to stand behind Xena and began to brus h the dark hair with long, gentle strokes, stopping now and then to work the tangles out.

"Well, Gabrielle," Elkton said as he deftly peeled one of the onions, "I know how it feels when your memory isn't working right. But at least you have a good excuse. Me, I'm just getting old." Then, before either of the women could answer, he went on. "Now I don't know about you," he said, looking up at Gabrielle, "but I would really like to hear the story of how Xena killed the serpent. If she feels like telling it, that is."

He looked hopefully at the warrior and she laughed. "Well, Gabrielle is the real storyteller here, and she's heard the tale already, so maybe she'll tell it."

"I only heard it once and that was a pretty sketchy version," the bard responded. "So I'd really like to hear it again. Please, Xena?"

"All right," Xena agreed reluctantly. "Now that Gabrielle has made me presentable, I guess I owe her a story." She smiled her thanks at the bard, then quickly stuck one last bite of bread into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed it. A long drink of milk served to wash it down.

Gabrielle, meanwhile, finished brushing the warrior's hair and sat down next to her. "Put your arm up here on the table," she said. Then she carefully unwrapped the bandage.

"Nice incision," Xena said, peering at the wound in her arm. "Very clean and neat."

"She did a good job, didn't she?" asked Elkton. "And she didn't have to cut very deep, either. The venom was right there under the skin."

"I told you I had many skills," Gabrielle said with a grin as she pulled a length of thread off the spool.

"Yeah, but at the time I thought you were talking about something else," Xena said, cocking one eyebrow.

Xena laughed and took another sip of milk, then drew in a deep breath and let it out, composing her face into an expression more suitable for storytelling. "We started our journey at dawn," she said, "Gabrielle and I leading Argo up the rough mountain track. It was so dark at first that we could barely see where we were going." Then she told about the attack by Hera's warriors and how she killed one of them, but kept Gabrielle from killing another one. She did her best to keep her mind focussed on the story so that she would not feel the sharp sting of the needle piercing her arm. And by the time she began to tell how she had convinced Gabrielle to go the rest of the way up the mountain with her, the stitching of the wound was done. The bard leaned back in her chair and devoted all her attention to listening. Elkton listened closely, too, cutting up the onions and cheese meanwhile, and then breaking eggs into a large bowl.

Xena went on to describe the battle with the serpent, throwing in a few more details this time, but ending as she had before, by saying she had slipped and that was how the serpent had escaped to bite her. "I strangled it with my left hand," she said, "and you should have seen how it flailed and flopped around. But I hung on like death until I had choked all the breath out of it." She smiled grimly. "After that, my right arm went totally numb and I couldn't move it anymore."

Pausing again to take a drink, she watched Elkton set a heavy, footed iron skillet in the coals and drop a big scoop of grease into it.

"Xena," said Gabrielle, "there's something about this story I don't understand."

"Well, you said you had the serpent trapped with the forked staff and you were about to get ahold of it and then you slipped."

"But why? Why did you slip? It's not like you to be careless at such a moment. I can't believe you would just 'slip.' Is there more to this story than you're telling us?"

Xena was silent, considering what effect it might have on Gabrielle if she learned what her own role had been.

But before she could decide, the bard, as if reading her mind, said, "And you haven't said much about what I was doing this whole time. You told me you might need my help to fight the serpent, but did you ever really let me help?"

"Sure I did. You were a big help. You held things for me, like my whip, and handed me whatever I needed."

"Well, yeah, I-- I couldn't let you get too close. I couldn't risk having the serpent bite you."

"No, not exactly. You got bored after a while and started talking about going back to the campsite. But right after that, I finally managed to trap the serpent . . . and strangle it."

There was a loud sizzling sound as Elkton poured the eggs into the skillet and began to scramble them.

"Mmm, that smells wonderful!" Xena said. "I'm so hungry I think I could eat a horse! But not Argo," she added quickly.

"Xena, don't change the subject," Gabrielle said. "You still haven't told us how you slipped after you had the serpent trapped."

The warrior regarded her friend for a moment, then noticed that Elkton was watching her, too, an expectant look on his face.

She sighed. "I slipped," she said, "because at the moment I was about to get my hands on the serpent, you grabbed my sword and said you were going to help by hacking the creature to pieces." She stopped and took a deep breath. "I told you not to, but you started swinging the sword anyway and I had to use my left hand to stop you. That's when the serpent broke free and bit me."

Gabrielle stared at Xena, an expression of horror on her face. For a few moments she didn't speak, but finally she said, "Didn't I know that you had to kill the serpent without shedding its blood?"

"Then I'm responsible for your getting bitten," Gabrielle said softly. "It was all my fault. I almost killed you."

"No, Gabrielle, it wasn't your fault," Xena said, laying a hand on her lover's arm. "That wasn't you up there on the mountain. It was someone else--a person of Ares' creation. In fact, there were moments when I looked into your eyes and I could have sworn I saw Ares himself looking back at me. He wanted me to fail in my quest to save you, and he tried to stop me by using you against me. Don't you see that?"

"I-- I guess so, but-- I don't know. I just feel like it's still my fault somehow."

"She's right, you know," said Elkton. "You're not responsible, Gabrielle." He pulled the skillet out of the coals and onto the hearthstone. Then he looked at the bard. "The young woman Xena brought here two days ago was a very different person from the one who's sitting at my table now," he said. "That Gabrielle was selfish and rude and didn't seem to care about anyone or anything. I found it hard to believe that she was the friend Xena had risked her life for in the dreamscape passage." He smiled at her and then turned to take three plates down from the shelf. "But the Gabrielle who came down from the mountain-- That Gabrielle is a wonderful, caring person, full of devotion and concern for others." He filled a plate with eggs and set it in front of her. "That Gabrielle could never have been responsible for Xena's getting bitten."

Xena squeezed her lover's hand. "I hope you're listening to this," she said, "because I couldn't have said it any better myself."

"Yeah, I'm listening," Gabrielle said. She smiled and squeezed Xena's hand in return. "I feel better now," she added.

Elkton set a steaming plate in front of Xena. "Thanks," she said with a grin, "and I don't just mean for the eggs."

He filled his own plate and poured a goblet of wine for each of them. Then three hungry people began to eat and there was no further conversation for several minutes.

Elkton looked from one to the other and then laughed. "Well, anyway," he continued, "I hope you two will stay a few days so I can do some real cooking. We haven't had much of a chance to visit, and I'm always happy to have company."

Gabrielle looked at Xena. "Oh, could we stay?" she asked eagerly. "It would give you a chance to rest up and I'd like to hear all about Elkton's work as a Mystic."

Xena smiled and looked at Elkton. "Well, there's no place in particular we need to be for a while, so we'd love to stay," she said. "You and Gabrielle can trade cooking secrets, and maybe I can do a little fishing and hunting to get you some extra meat to dry for this winter."

"You'd better let her do it," Gabrielle said, leaning close to Elkton and speaking in a confidential tone of voice. "She'll get bored in a hurry if she has to sit and listen to us talk about cooking."

"Yes, of course," he said, reaching for the jug. "There are grapes and figs, too, and I'll be glad to fry more eggs if you want them."

"Not for me," Xena said. "I'll just have some fruit and then I think I'll be full at last."

"Same here," Gabrielle said. "But Elkton, I wanted to ask you, how did you learn to cook? Xena told me you served a delicious meal when we were here before. I just wish I could remember eating it!"

"Well, I'll tell you what," Elkton said, laughing. "If Xena can hunt down some more partridges, I can probably recreate that meal for you. And as to how I learned to cook, well, I used to like watching my wife prepare food, and after she died, I had to do it myself, so I just started experimenting and trying to figure out how it was done."

"Oh, it was a long time ago. Over thirty years now, I guess. She died in childbirth."

"Yes, unfortunately, it did," Elkton said. "And we had lost our first child about a year before that to a fever, so it was a difficult time for me."

Gabrielle reached out and put her hand over his for a moment. "I'm so sorry," she said. "That's such a sad story."

He smiled at her. "Well, most of us know sorrow if we live long enough," he said. "And even though it's painful at the time, in the end, I think it has a way of making us more human somehow . . . more able to help others." He pushed a large bowl across the table towards them. "Now here, have some of this fruit," he added.

"No. I suppose I could have, easily enough, but I wasn't certain I could ever love in the same way again. And anyway, about that time I started getting involved with the Mystics. I became a priest and that work became the focus of my life, rather than family."

"You must have loved your wife a great deal," said Gabrielle. "How did you meet her?"

"We just grew up together, right here in this same little village. We never got out to see the world, like you two have." He grinned, then asked, "How about you and Xena? How did the two of you meet?"

"Oh, that's a wonderful story!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Would you like to hear it?"

Gabrielle looked at Xena. "Do you mind if I tell it now?" she asked. "Or do you want me to wait until you've gone hunting or something?"

Xena spat out some grape seeds and smiled expansively. "No, go right ahead," she said. "I'd actually like to listen because, as it happens, I had to tell you this same story a few days agowhen you had no memory of it, and I want to find out if I got it right."

Gabrielle laughed. "Xena doesn't usually like to be around when I tell stories about her," she told Elkton. "She says I exaggerate too much."

Xena leaned back in her chair and sipped the dark, red liquid. She felt pleasantly tired and wonderfully content, watching the way the candlelight played off her lover's face and hair, and listening to the emotive tones of Gabrielle's voice. Rarely had life seemed as sweet and whole as it did just now. But if she had never met that young girl from Poteidaia, what then? How would her life have been different? Would she even still be alive? Gabrielle had saved her life today, but it wasn't the first time she had done so. In the end, who could really understand how the Fates worked to weave the tapestry of existence?

Lost in thought, Xena didn't realize that Gabrielle had stopped speaking until she heard Elkton say, "You were right. That was a wonderful story."

"Well, there are plenty more where that one came from," Xena said, grinning. "And with a little bit of encouragement, I'm sure they'll all come spilling out." She winked at Gabrielle, then tipped her goblet up and drained it. "Now, if you two will excuse me, I think I'll turn in for the night."

Gabrielle reached out and squeezed her hand. "Go ahead, Sweetheart," she said. "I'll be in as soon as I've helped Elkton clean up."

"You go on to bed, Gabrielle," he said quickly. "I can take care of cleaning up. If I'd been through what you two have today, I would have been in bed long before this."

"No, I insist on helping," Gabrielle said. "I was once known as the best dishwasher in Poteidaia, and I have my reputation to maintain."

"Well," said Xena, laughing as she stood up. "There's a story I've never heard before!"

"Yes, you did. Especially on all those nights when you made me clean up the dishes!" She bent and kissed the top of Gabrielle's head. "But I'll be sure to remember it in the future," she added. "Good night, Elkton."

"Thanks," she said, letting her hand linger for a moment on Gabrielle's shoulder. Then she crossed the room and ducked into the curtained alcove. Unlacing her leathers, she slipped out of them and climbed into bed. The blankets felt chilly against her bare skin, and as she lay waiting for her body heat to warm them, she listened to the murmur of voices and soft sounds from the other room. After a time, she closed her eyes and drifted into the quiet realm somewhere between waking and sleeping. But as soon as she heard Gabrielle's step in the alcove, Xena opened her eyes again. "I'm awake," she said softly.

"No, I waited for you." She watched her lover's silhouette against the curtain as she unlaced her bodice and shrugged it off, then unfastened and stepped out of her skirt. Xena turned back the covers as Gabrielle felt her way to the bed.

Xena snuggled up to her lover, wrapping her right arm around her. "Just be careful about my arm," she said.

"Oh. Right. Is it hurting you, Xena? Do you want me to get you some willow bark?"

"No. I'm fine. It hurts a little bit, but definitely not enough to keep me awake."

"Yeah, they're great," Xena said with a grin, as she tickled the bottom of Gabrielle's foot with her toes.

Xena obeyed, laughing as she buried her face against her partner's neck and breathed in the soft scent of her. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, then Xena said, "That was quite a feat of lovemaking you did today."

"Mmm, I was good, wasn't I?" Gabrielle said, running her fingers lightly across the warrior's breast.

Xena raised herself up on one elbow and then leaned down so that her lips were almost touching Gabrielle's. "You were excellent," she whispered, bringing her mouth down to cover the bard's. The kiss was sweet and deep, but after a short while, Xena broke away gently. "I'm too tired for this tonight," she said, brushing a light kiss on Gabrielle's cheek, "but I want you to know that as soon as I get rested up, I fully intend to reciprocate what you did today."

"I'll look forward to that," murmured the bard. "But I did owe you one, you know."

"Did you forget? When we were making love at the inn and we got interrupted and you said 'just remember who was doing what to whom'?"

Xena laughed. "Yeah, I had forgotten all about that. Well, I'm still going to return the favor very soon," she said. Then she laid her head on Gabrielle's chest.

In the other room, she heard Elkton unrolling the pallet again in front of the fire. Then he put out the lights, one by one, and the house settled into quiet darkness.

"I don't know exactly. I just somehow realized that I could, so I did. Anyway, I was wondering-- If this whole thing hadn't worked out the way it did, would you have killed me, like I asked you to?"

"Maybe," Xena said slowly. "But I think it would have been the hardest thing I ever did."

Xena raised up again, but she could not see her lover's face in the dark. "I promised I would do it if there was no other way," she said, "but I had another plan, too."

"Wait. Let me finish," Xena said, putting her fingers over the bard's lips. "I would go back to Ares, just until I was sure you were safe, then I would get killed in battle."

Gabrielle shuddered and pulled Xena back down against her, holding her close for a few moments without speaking. Finally, she whispered, "I still can't believe it."

Xena propped herself back up on her elbow and touched Gabrielle's cheek with gentle fingers. "Don't go there," she said. "If we start thinking about how things might have turned out, we'll go crazy. Just accept the gift and enjoy."

"The next time we run into a bard in a tavern, promise me you won't talk to him, okay?"

"I know, but not that. I'm always going to want to talk to other bards, and most of them aren't going to drug me."

"Hmm. Well, okay. Then promise you won't talk to any bards who are really Ares in disguise."

Gabrielle laughed. "Okay," she said. "If I see a bard who's really Ares, I promise I won't talk to him at all. In fact, I promise I'll start running the other direction as fast as I can!"

"Thanks," Xena said chuckling and laying her head down again. "I feel better now that I have your word."

Gabrielle stroked the warrior's hair for a few moments, then said, "I want you to promise me something, too, Xena."

"Promise me that if you ever decide to get bitten by a serpent again, you'll pick one with a different color venom. That yellowish-green stuff was really disgusting."

Within moments, Gabrielle's breathing deepened, and Xena lay pressed against her lover's warm body, listening to the steady heartbeat. She knew that very soon she, too, would let Morpheus bear her softly away, but for right now she was content to savor this beautiful moment . . . this moment in which she felt so safe and warm, knew love was hers, and that life was very, very good.

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