Warlord Daze

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: Oh Boy Is There. .This is a Prurient Piece with a Bit of Kink (If you hear the crack of the whip then you'll be in the neighborhood) Proceed at your own risk. :)

It was one of those rare quiet days. They had battles behind them and battles ahead, but today. . .today the sun was out, the temperature mild, they were in a fine location and those people who'd volunteered their time (for pay. . .) and their lives (for honor. . .) were in good spirits. Xena took advantage of the lull to check her people, examine supplies and basically get a good stretch on. There had been losses. It was hard to push a force as large as Hercules' back. They were, however, managing the feat. It was a sporadic process. Sometimes they managed small wins. Sometimes it was large. There were several who'd originally joined Hercules' camp, who'd come over to her side, without so much as whimper of battle. She'd given those "troops" over to the loving care of her generals.

Xena smiled at those she passed, though it was more of stern upturning of the mouth. Despite that, she was greeted by her warriors with a familiar warmth. This was *their* hero, *their leader!* The Warrior Princess who was leading them in successful venture after successful venture. She balanced somewhere between the pleasures of adulation and the weariness of it all. She wouldn't lie and say she didn't like it. She loved stirring up her warriors. The power made her feel good, really good. . .Okay. .fantastically good.

But it wasn't as fine or as. .fulfilling as the way Gabrielle made her feel. She got tingles just at the thought of her lover's name. Her presence was a balm in this mighty ocean of conflict. If Gabrielle weren't here. . . if Gabrielle weren't. . .She'd be lost in the blooding and that false Hercules would have more to fear than he ever dreamed.

Knowing that scared Xena, but it also gave her a healthy respect for the balance she kept. Her visage was fierce and commanding as she patrolled her camp. Her people snapped to attention when they saw her. But when she was home the mask came off, though lately it was proving more difficult, but for Gabrielle's sweet prompting. Even when their loving, when she came back from the battles' intensity or just because of the fire Gabrielle stirred within her, was turbulent and driven by her passions there was always the softening force of love between them.

Her armor didn't creak as she walked. That was through no effort of her own this time, though she'd seen to it more times than she could count. Lately, however, Gabrielle had taken up those tasks. Xena didn't have as much time as she used to. It had been in fun at first, Xena was well aware, but now it was done for their survival. They mended each other's clothes and saw to each other's needs. Gabrielle had a little more time to do such things, but warrior's pride prompted Xena to keep those skills honed in Gabrielle's behalf. She'd even made a new whip.

Gabrielle was still bemoaning the loss of the old one, but there was no way to stop that horse at the time and retrieve it. Xena had been too busy getting bloodied by some fool's brackishly red deathwater. Somewhere out there was a body with a long leather tool wrapped around it's neck. Perhaps someday they might find it, gnawed, frayed and aged. By then, Xena smirked, her sweet bard wouldn't want the thing. Xena shivered with a remembered pleasure. Gabrielle had been enthusiastic enough about the new one.

Despite protests (Not from Gabrielle, though she might have been inclined if she'd thought it would do any good.) Xena continued to fight in the battles as they occurred. It was her thought that if her people couldn't see her out there fighting, then they wouldn't know that the battle (especially if it were a small one) meant anything. Somehow, miraculously, she avoided death's scrapes, gouges and punches and, rather, delivered them to her enemies (for which Gabrielle was constantly, completely grateful).

Gabrielle did fight, whirling that staff of hers with vicious precision. There were times when the Amazon would wake up in a sweat, feeling a premonition of danger and Xena could not dissuade her lover from being present. In those cases, the Warlord made sure that the young woman was in the "least" amount of peril as possible. She surrounded Gabrielle with the most competent fighters, usually the Queen's own guard, she had available. She'd learned long ago to listen to Gabrielle's cautions.

Her forces, Greece' forces, fell into a rhythm of a sorts. Battle, claim the territory, check the villages, provide aid, rest up, move on, push Hercules a little further back. There was a fifty fifty chance they would find a village decimated. Other times, the villages had simply coped with Hercules' heavy handed rule, giving up supplies and other necessities so his Army's "needs" could be met. One of Xena's most important goals was the liberating of those "supplies," so they could return to their families . . .if they felt able. Some simply took up arms. Those, she put in Doba's care. Vengeance had a place in war.

To say the situational wounding of the people, HER people, made Xena angry did little justice to the intensity of feeling that "Hercules'" depredations of Greece created. She'd finally come to accept that they truly were HER people, as much the Amphipolin's had been. Perhaps moreso, because they were so willing to trust themselves to her care (and that put on obligations she'd never thought of before in her earlier stint as Warlord.) Gradually, as the war went on, she'd become accepted as more than the titular leader among Greece' many territories, though none of ruling's obligations (save for a few) were put upon her at this time. The government, as currently established was holding. Still, someone had to be in charge, at least in surrogate. Her face cracked a genuine smile at Ephiny's astonishment at being handed That responsibility. Gabrielle's reasoning had been, "The Amazons will be guaranteed a place if Xena's representative *is* an Amazon. It will be what's best for the nation. Besides, if you can manage as diverse a bunch as Amazons. . ." Ephiny hadn't been all that convinced, but she'd agreed to give it a try. It was an additional burden to the tasks Gabrielle had already set, but in a way, it turned out, the calling made it easier. The Amazons finally had a voice among the people of Greece. In the meantime, through the mystery of the rumor mill, Xena had become Greece' Warrior Princess, a title she'd never thought would be applied with such. .devoted intensity. Xena, Greece' salvation [though that title made her itch]. There were other titles that seemed to make their way along rumor's lines. Were she any less of a woman, the fame would make her knees knock. Were Gabrielle not here. . well. .if Gabrielle weren't here, and she had such power in her hands. . the titles would be much different wouldn't they. Still The farther she got into "his" territory, the more she came to despise This version of of Zeus' son with a fine, pure hatred. Death would be too good for him. Her mind worked over various "punishments," for the half God. None of them seemed acceptable, but she knew she would discover it and when she did. . .

"Xena."

Her dark thoughts were interrupted by Gabrielle's sweet voice. She turned, her gaze was still shadowy from the hostility she felt. Her response, however, was mild. She made it a point not to turn her anger upon her lover. "Yes?"

Gabrielle held Argo's rein's in her hand. The strawberry blonde was dressed in her usual Amazon garb. The hoops in her ears flashed in the sun. Her hazel eyes twinkled and she deliberately looked up at the blue sky, "Nice day out."

Xena's gaze flickered up and then back down. "It is," She acknowledged. Argo's tail swished to the side and she neighed. The warrior princess neared her horse and pressed against Argo's soft hide. "The sun is out. There's no battles to be fought, at least not for today. The camp's in order. Colchak said he'd watch and, as you know, his arms are functional again." Gabrielle was openly grinning at her now and Xena felt something. . .melting. .within her. .The grin. .was familiar. It held that jubilant sense of adventure she'd come to love in their travels. It didn't occur to Xena, until now, how long it had been since she'd seen that exuberant smile. Gabrielle continued, "How would you feel about going for a small day trip?"

Xena grinned. It stretched her face and made her blue eyes sparkle. She whooped and jumped. She was in Argo's seat as neat as you please. She loved being able to do that. She noticed the packs at Argo's side. Food and. . .whatever else might have sparked her lover's imagination. She smiled broadly down at Gabrielle and extended her hand. "I'd love to."

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This page was last updated: February 11, 1998

İFebruary 1998