Author´s Note: Well, I was bored and felt like writing something. Anything. Can´t say it´s grand art, but it was fun to write something different for a change. Not to mention short!

Comments are always welcomed: dayze11@hotmail.com
 
 

"Uh… uhm, Xena?"

The dark woman didn´t look up from the sharpening of her sword, "Yes?"

Gabrielle fiddled nervously with the scroll in her hand, then put it down on the ground only took take it up again and continue fiddling with it. She stared into the fire and took a deep breath.

"I have a new story I would like to try out."

"Hmm…" came the absent reply from the warrior, not once losing interest in the sharpness of her blade.

"It´s… it´s kinda important to me."

"Oh?" Xena glanced up briefly then looked back at her sword, testing the metal with her thumb.

"It´s a love story."

"Mmm-hmm…"

"Between two women."

"Shit!"

The warrior stared at her bloody thumb then Gabrielle before putting the finger into her mouth to stop the bleeding.

The bard immediately jumped to her feet and rushed to Xena´s side, but the dark woman just held up her well hand to stop her, "I´m fine, Gabrielle. Just got careless for a second."

"Oh, okay." The bard hesitantly returned to her place on the opposite side of the fire.

There was silence for a long time then the warrior scratched her cheek lightly and looked over at her friend.

"So… Who are those women? Amazons?"

"Oh well, kinda…"

"Yeah?" Xena rose and stepped over to the saddlebags to get some bandages.

"One of them is an Amazon Queen."

Thump!

"Gods be damned!"

The warrior was lying face down in the grass, her right foot still tangled in the root that brought her there.

Gabrielle jumped up again and rushed over to help Xena to her feet, but the dark woman just ignored her hand and stood up, brushing earth and leaves of her leathers.

"Xena?" The bard looked worriedly at her friend. "Are you sure you´re all right?"

"Yes," the warrior found the bandages and walked back to the fire, careful to look where she was going. "It´s just so damn dark tonight."

Gabrielle raised her head and stared up at the full moon, "Uh, sure."

They sat down again, on opposite sites of the fire, both avoiding each other´s eyes. Xena quickly wrapped a small piece of bandage around her bloody finger, then carefully examined her sore ankle and was relieved to find that it wasn´t broken and would be fine in the morning. Having completed those tasks, she picked up her sword again, all the while she could feel Gabrielle´s eyes burn into her. Then reaching for the whetstone she continued to sharpen her sword.

After a few minutes of silence, the warrior glanced up briefly, taking care to keep her fingers away from the blade this time, "So… in this story… the Queen… she´s in love… with a woman?"

The bard nodded eagerly, pleased that she´d gotten Xena´s attention again, "Yes, and it´s the most wonderful feeling she´s ever experienced. She´s never felt anything like it before. Just looking at her love makes her heart beat faster."

"Uh huh…" The warrior grunted in reply, her eyes still on the sword, but the hand with the whetstone had stopped moving. "That´s nice." She fell silent for a moment, then inquired softly, "She must be really something then."

"Oh, she is. Tall, dark and beautiful," a mischievous gleam showed in Gabrielle´s eyes, "with a body to die for."

"Gabrielle!" Xena was staring at the bard slack-jawed. "I… I can´t believe you just said that."

"Oh, Xena, I´m just stating facts," Gabrielle smirked, enjoying the warrior´s shocked expression. "I´m a bard after all, I have to pay attention to details. Like the way her beautiful raven hair caresses those magnificent shoulders--"

"Gabrielle."

"--the golden hue of her perfect skin, the strong and firm stomach with muscles rippling every so slightly when she moves--"

"Gabrielle…"

"--and those gorgeous legs that just seem to go on and on and on and--"

"Gabrielle!"

"--all the way up to breasts so full and beautiful you just want to dive--"

"Gabrielle!!!"

"What!" Dreamy and slightly unfocused green eyes met Xena´s. "Why did you stop me? I was on a roll here."

"Yeah, I could tell," the warrior replied dryly, trying not to stare too openly at where Gabrielle´s hands had come to rest during her passionate speech. "But it´s late and we have to move on early tomorrow morning so I think we should turn in now."

"Oh?" the bard looked disappointed. "Don´t you want to hear how it ends? Whether there´ll be a happy ending?"

Then she noticed her hands on her breasts and she blushed furiously, wrapping her arms around her knees instead. Luckily she didn´t think Xena had noticed since the warrior was busy looking at her nails. Then Xena rose and walked over to their saddlebags.

"Oh, I´m sure it´ll have a happy ending," she spoke quietly, placing the whetstone in a small pocket. "After all, the other woman would be crazy not to love the Amazon Queen back." She straightened up and looked into the dark forest surrounding them, her back to Gabrielle. "I mean, not only is the Queen beautiful and kind, but she also has a good heart filled with love and compassion for those who need it, and a brilliant soul which…" The warrior trailed off as she suddenly felt two tentative hands coming to rest gently on her hips.

"Xena?" The bard breathed and the warrior shivered as she felt the warm breath against her skin.

"Yes?"

"This story, the story of the two women… Is it a short story or a novel?"

"Oh, it´s a novel." The warrior turned around and met Gabrielle´s eyes. "It´s most definitely a novel."

The bard smiled, her arms slipping further around Xena´s waist, "I´m glad to hear it. I´ve always thought that novels were so much more satisfying than short stories." She sighed softly, feeling the warrior return her embrace. "So, tell me, Xena. How is the story going to end?"

"With a bang," the warrior husked seductively. "And after that you´ll have to think of a sequel and another one and another one and--"

"Xena?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

"Okay."
 
 

And she did and then in unison they proceeded to create a wonderful tale that years from now would inspire thousands of bards to try their hands at writing… Some would be paid to do it, others would do it for free. The former got the money, the latter all the fun. ;-)
 

The End
 

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