Among Friends

The following is a bit of alternative fiction based on certain characters from the Xenaverse. It is not meant to infringe on anyone else's rights. If you don't agree or disapprove, please go read something else.

XEX alert: Yeah baby! Someone was needing some!!!

Gabrielle really appreciated the short note from Arete, which asked about what their options were. There was no stated rejection, but rather a note of support and surprisingly, love. The blonde's neat handwriting described a few ideas she had, based on previous (though unrelated) events in her life. She pointed out that though Amazons were notoriously traditional, they also liked to wing it (a lot) and maybe a few "traditions" could be made up as they went along. For instance, did the witnesses absolutely have to be mortal? And were there specified locations? Were the number of witnesses set in stone? Could they make the witnesses go through a really tough "cleansing ceremony" if they were mortal, perhaps one involving walking on really hot stones (just to make sure they were serious and all)? (Gabrielle had laughed out loud at that one. Well that would be one way to take care of the curiosity seekers.) Did quickies count and what did they think of having Kalai hanging down head first for part of the demonstration? "Inside joke, I'll tell you later," wrote Arete. "Kalai's smacking on me now, better go kiss and make up. Send for us as soon as you need, my Queen. We have vowed to be ready. Kalai wants to know what your favorite scent is. She says she'll wear it, if you want."

Gabrielle had, in part, blushed and laughed and cried at the letter. She was concerned by the statement that they, including Iovene, would be heading back towards Skula in search of a "young one," whatever that meant. She wasn't sure she wanted her consorts going back where Ephiny's sources had identified the problem. Yet, perhaps it was for the best. She smiled at the carefully casual tone of the letter, yet she received the message and was grateful. Whatever happened, they were willing and loyal. She handed the note to Xena, who had her legs casually propped up on the council table. The warrior was quickly reading through one of the more legalistic scrolls, with the intent of finishing it before starting another. The brunette set the scroll aside and said, "Not much in there we can use. Though the trial was held in the town square." The warrior grinned wickedly, "Wanna make love in the town square, in front of Gods and everyone?"

The bard smirked, and waved a scroll as she settled back with a grumpy sigh, "Didn't we already do that? I believe you had me at Glyfada, in the town square. If I recall correctly." It had been a quiet night and the stars had called. She remembered Xena's heated kisses and the passionate words and thrusts which had sent her over ecstacy's edge in that public place. The bard's gaze turned sultry.

The warrior's eyebrows arched and she , "Oh you are correct, but it wasn't in front of everybody. Just the Gods who were awake and the night sky. Doesn't count." Xena licked her lips suggestively, "How 'bout it? Me, You, some wine, A couple of honorable consorts who love you, and the whole Amazon nation watching? Quite a sexy scenario, huh?"

Gabrielle batted at the warrior's foot with the scroll in her hand. "Oh You!" she laughed. Xena grinned in return and set the "battered" foot on the floor. She tilted back in the chair and rested for a moment. Then she read the note and laughed a few times and nodded seriously a few other times and chortled again. Then she looked thoughtful, really really thoughtful. Xena looked at Gabrielle with an unreadable expression. "What?" the bard asked as she settled back to reread her scroll.

When Xena didn't immediately answer, the bard looked up from her carefully constructed opening speech. "Xena?" The warrior shook her head as if she were just coming to attention. She smiled. The bard asked again, "What?"

"You ought to invite them here, or we should meet them there."

"What?" Gabrielle wasn't following the conversation.

"Kalai and Arete. You should bring them here or we should go to them." Gabrielle knew there had to be a reason, but she continued to give the warrior a blank look. Xena dropped her other foot down and the chair bounced forward. The warrior placed the note carefully upon the table, then walked to where the strawberry blonde was sitting. Funny how Xena seemed a lot taller from this angle, thought the Queen. The warrior's smile was gentle and she held out a hand. Gabrielle set the scroll aside and placed her hand trustingly in Xena's. She was pulled into a standing position, then pushed, very gently against the edge of the table.

Scrolls which had been neatly set upon the table scattered to the swift movement of Xena's hand. "Xena?" The warrior let go of Gabrielle's hand and wrapped her arms around the bard's waist. Then she lifted her lover and set her down gently. The bard looked at her dangling legs and her new location and then up at Xena again. "Xena?"

Xena leaned down until her mouth hovered just above Gabrielle's, "You've been working too hard my queen. You're thinking too much with your head right now." The warrior settled warm lips against soft lips and they kissed, long and slow. She pulled away, gently, "You're so tense it's getting me all riled up in knots." Gabrielle started to protested, but that just got her kissed again, even longer and slower and this time wetter. The warrior parted the bard's legs and slid between them, bumping lightly against the bard's hiked skirt. Xena reached for the fasteners. That skirt was coming off. She released Gabrielle's mouth, "You've rehearsed and rehearsed and I think I've never heard you sound more contrived, more nervous."

The bard, whose eyes were beginning to glaze over with lust, spoke in protest as she finally gave voice to her nervousness. She kept having nightmarish visions about the council session and so she'd been working extra hard. She knew what that speech sounded like (and the stiffness concerned her), "It's the room. The whole council. I'll be talking to the whole. . ." She was kissed again, and this time she felt the skirt fold open to reveal her nakedness. Xena's hand slid up the fair woman's belly, to the green top. The warrior looped her hands through the laces and began proprietary undoing them. Gabrielle's mouth opened, and she realized that she'd been so busy and upset, they hadn't made love since arriving. It had been days.

The warrior made a sultry promise, "Don't worry, I'll help you forget all that and remember the important stuff." The bard blinked and closed her eyes with the next kiss, the important stuff. This felt pretty important right now. Long fingers freed her from the bindings of the top and began to press and play with her nipples. The Amazon Queen moaned and her legs parted a little further, invitingly. "Yesssss," her consort whispered as a hand sloped downward again and played through a bountiful field.

Gabrielle reached to touch the warrior in return, sliding her hands around warm leather, pressing Xena closer. She felt Xena remove her hands from their current location and whimpered protest. The warrior's mouth never left hers. She felt the leather skirt move up and cover her thighs, then Xena's hands wrapped around her hips and pulled. It took the bard a bare set of seconds to realize that Xena had no breeches on. The bard opened her eyes in surprise, then closed them again in sweet delirium as Xena's tongue swirled in her mouth and a warm fleshy, furry pubis pressed into her center.

Xena's hips began a gentle thrusting movement, pressing and grinding subtly against the bard's desire. The Queen responded by sliding her hips in response and pushing against the warrior. They did that for awhile, rubbing against each other, letting their hands roam and play and kissing, until they were so slick and so turned on that the slow hump became something more rhythmic and demanding. The groaned into each other and Gabrielle found herself mostly prone on the table, feet flat for support so her hips could arch as the warrior moaned and thrust against her. They erupted in scattering of moonlight. One tremoring cry led to the other's and they ended up lying entwined together upon the table, resting.

Gabrielle snuggled into the warrior's arms and sighed out a thank you. All the worry that had gathered in her belly and body had dissipated, drawn out by the warrior's sweet loving . Xena's hug was warm in return. The Queen spoke, "The council begins session tomorrow. I'll give my speech, then we should go. The council can work on laws while I go to meet my consorts." It was time to get to know her lovers, in private, while she still could, "We'll let Ephiny know." That got her another squeeze and a gentle chuckle.

"My bard, sometimes you are very wise." The Queen smiled, thinking that Xena was the wise one, and let herself relax, finally, into her lover's arms. Later, Xena woke Gabrielle enough to help her dress and replace all the scrolls. Then she escorted her wife to dinner and later, when night's curtains were drawn in the queen's hut, they did some more important stuff.

Every time he tried to set the torch against the dried hay, it snuffed out. The man couldn't figure it out. One second it was lighted, the next, there was a mocking smoking tendril. It irked him. Whoever picked this torch as his group's weapon of doom was going to get a thorough thrashing and that was that. He glared menacingly at his compatriots.

Damn it. Why couldn't anything go as planned? Obviously the Amazon's were vulnerable to fire, like everyone else. All one had to do was look at the char marks on some of the huts. He shook the torch angrily, trying not to swear out loud. What was with this thing? Aulix thought about trying to light it again, but decided it was getting too dark and he would be too obvious. He threw the smoky torch down and spit in disgust.

Then he sighed and shrugged. Oh, well. There were other ways of creating a disruption and that was all he was trying to do right now. He signaled one of his henchmen and hand signals and meaningful gestures flew. The young man nodded and slinked away, seeming to disappear into the shadows. Aulix grinned. Handy talent that.

They waited, but didn't have to wait long before the man was spotted. This time he didn't bother with the shadows but was running full out. Well, almost full out. It's hard to run full out when carrying an angry woman on one's shoulder, even a bound and gagged one. Still he somehow managed to escape with relative silence much to Aulix's joy.

Yes, a beginning. A good one at that. They'd slowly disappear the Amazons of the village one by one. They'd teach the captured ones their proper place in the world (and he grinned in evil anticipation) and then sell them to the highest bidder. He was going to be a rich man and those Amazons were going to pay and pay.

The struggling Amazon was set to her feet, threatened with mean looking swords and pushed roughly into the night.

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These pages were last updated: October 20, 1997

ŠAugust 1997