Disclaimer: The characters of Xena, Gabrielle, and the rest of the characters we all know and love all belong to Universal Studios and Renaissance Pictures. No infringement is intended. I just got a bug up my butt to write a story with these characters in it so here's the end result.

The characters of the Raiderz and Pirates are based on real people who are members of the XST club.

NC-17 Due to Sexual Content: Oh boy is there! This story is alternative in nature. It explores the sexual relationship between consensual, adult women and intended for mature readers over the age of l8, and the not so mature members of the XST club. If it's illegal where you are, please stop reading now and/or move.

Violence: You betchya! How can you have Xena in a story and not have some violence? There will be blood and gore ahead. Proceed at your own risk!

If you have any comments you want to throw my way feel free to do so at LadyAdrell@yahoo.com

My fanfic home page is http://xst.freeservers.com/fanfic.html
 
 

Chapter 4

"Ah, Xena," Blazer greeted as the Warrior Princess entered the tent and Sejara disappeared back out into the night. The leader of the Raiders was standing over a large map, which was lay out on a long wooden table. Blazer smiled at her guest. "Where's Queen Gabrielle?"

"Queen Gabrielle is busy getting to know some of your Raiders," Xena informed her as she scanned the tent quickly. Two guards at either side of the opening, two more flanking Blazer at the table, examining the map with their leader. Now they watched the legendary warrior with silent awe and was that fear? Xena fought the urge to roll her eyes. In her examination of her surroundings, Xena missed Blazer's eyebrows raise in mild shock at Xena's comment.

Xena's eye caught sight of a woman sitting off to the General's left, quill in hand, scribbling in a scroll. The light from the candles caught in her silver speckled dark hair. Then eyes, rich with the knowledge of years, looked up from the scroll and locked with pale blue ones. A warm smile broke the woman's face and Xena found herself smiling in return.

Blazer nodded at Xena. "That's good," she said, now distracted. "We're mapping our quickest route from Mist's Fortress to Argos." She tapped the map with her finger to show Xena. "The road from Cartilus seems to be the quickest." Though her voice was confident sounding, Xena saw the doubt and a wanting of confirmation in the General's eyes.

Xena frowned at Blazer. "We aren't going straight to Argos from here?"

"No, I have more of my Raiders I want to pick up. They're here." She waited for Xena to step around the table and then pointed to a small dot with the words Mistic Fortress scribbled near it. She looked back up at Xena expectantly.

Xena looked back down and examined the map for several seconds before answering, "It seems the best way to me." She rested one hand on the table and leaned her weight against it in a casual manner as she looked back at the General.

Blazer nodded firmly to the women at her side, who were still gazing like little star-struck girls at Xena.

The slightest of smiles tugged at the corners of Xena's mouth as Gabrielle's scent distractingly filled her nostrils. There were times after their lovemaking that she would delay her bath for several hours just so she could revel in the smell of her soul. An image of Gabrielle floated into the warrior's mind unabated, how the firelight had reflected off the golden tresses, the green eyes capturing her in an almost physical embrace…Xena sighed.

"Are you alright, Xena?" Blazer asked with concern.

Xena snapped her attention back to the woman next to her, composing herself quickly. "Uh-huh. What were you saying?" Her face gave nothing away.

"Uh…I was saying that the road from Cartilus to Argos is fairly easy to travel with wagons. We shouldn't have any problem."

"No problems," Xena agreed, still having trouble focusing her mind away from memories of soft touches and even softer lips.

Blazer turned to the woman now looking at them patiently. "Did you get that, Bacchae?" She addressed the older woman with a gentle tone that Xena had yet to see her use with any of the other Raiders.

The bard, having sensed Blazer's uncertainty at her decision of routes, smiled generously and stated, "Yes, Blazer. I wrote it down when you first decided it."

"Very good." Blazer flashed Bacchae a brilliant smile before turning back to Xena. "We'll be at the Mistic Fortress before noon tomorrow. I'll organize my Raiders and supplies and we can be on our way well before dusk."

"The Mistic Fortress, is that where you live?" Xena inquired, a thought floating just out of reach, annoying her relentlessly. She'd heard the name of that Fortress before and she didn't remember it being a pleasant subject.

Blazer shook her head and a slight smile cocked her lips. "No, unfortunately. A good…friend of mine lives there. I stay with Mist when we're in the area or I need a helping hand. She's always willing to loan me her army when I need it "

At Blazer's words, the thought that had alluded her finally slammed home in Xena's head and her face turned to stone, blue eyes narrowing. "Mist…the Warlord?" Xena's voice was low and menacing.

Blazer took an unconscious step back from the dark-haired warrior in front of her. The General was not scared of many things. She remembered being frightened as a teen as a hungry baby wyvern, which she narrowly escaped, thanks to a local hunter, chased her through the woods near her home. Another time, she'd felt sheer terror when she awoke after a fierce battle with a ruthless Slaver and thought that her right arm had been severed. Now, standing with the Warrior Princess' eyes piercing her with pure anger, Blazer, the General of the Raiders, started to shake. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and she willed it back to a normal pace, avoiding the pale blue eyes.

"Yes." Blazer's voice cracked and she hastily composed herself standing up a bit taller so as not to lose face in front of her Raiders. "Mist could be considered a Warlord."

"I thought you were better than that, Blazer. From what I've heard, you do a lot of good." Xena's voice lost its angry edge and was replaced with disappointment. "And you get help doing all this good from one of the most ruthless and greedy Warlords in the lands. What does she get out it?"

Blazer frowned not understanding the question. "What do you mean?"

"What does she get for helping you?"

"Nothing," the General stated, her anger finally overtaking her fear. "Mist's my friend. She helps my cause because she believes in it. Who are you to question me?"

Xena snorted at the words. "I've known many Warlords and none did anything out of the goodness of their hearts. They all want something in return."

"Even you?" Blazer snapped,

Blazer's words bit deep into Xena's guilt over her past, though not a trace of it could be detected outwardly. Xena eyed the Raider General thoughtfully before answering, "Even me." She watched the tension in Blazer slowly disperse from her body. "I don't trust any Warlord."

The General nodded. "I don't suppose you'd have reason to, no. I give you my word that Mist is not doing this for any monetary reasons, she gets nothing from helping me. She hates slavery and truly wants to see the Slavers stopped."

Xena snorted again but kept her opinions to herself. Instead she asked, "How many days from the fortress to Argos?"
 
 

The quiet breathing and occasional whinny from the horses did much to relax Gabrielle. Although she enjoyed the company of the Raiders that had crowded around the fire, their constant questions and endless talking after Xena's disappearance into Blazer's tent had quickly drained the young woman. Luckily, Kimberst's sharp perception saved her.

The Amazon had pulled the Queen to her feet and ushered her through the near suffocating group of women, to push her towards the horses with a few quick words, "I'll get them to leave you alone for the time being, my Queen." Kimberst had turned around then and stopped the following Raiders with loud, firm statements that Gabrielle had things to tend to before turning in for the night.

Gabrielle listened as Stone's powerful voice boomed out for the women to get back to their duties and leave their guest alone. Gratefully, Gabrielle retrieved Agro's brush from the bag in their tent, enjoying the peace.

Upon entering the tent, her senses were blasted by the still lingering scent of their lovemaking. A smile light up the blonde woman's face at the memory of those powerful arms holding her, those soft, attentive lips caressing her so lovingly.

She stood in the middle of the tent for several moments just letting the aromas and memories wrap around her like a comfortable blanket, instantly calming her. Xena was here with her always. Though, not in her presence at the moment, she was here.

Gabrielle was still surprised that she had been so aggressive earlier. She usually let Xena take control, knowing the warrior liked to be on top. She never minded it. Seeing the raw desire and love in Xena's eyes as she hovered over her…

She shivered in delight.

It was rare indeed that Xena would ever let Gabrielle enter her with her fingers, not that the young woman hadn't tried before. Xena would always stop her with words and hands or by simply flipping the bard onto her back to take control. Xena allowing her free access to her body had reinforced Gabrielle's belief of Xena's trust in her. It had taken at least a year for Xena to relax enough to allow Gabrielle to love her with her mouth. She speculated that Xena had allowed few others to be that intimate with her.

Gabrielle was so caught up in thoughts of Xena that she didn't even notice that their things were in slight disarray from when they left them.

With a soft chuckle, Gabrielle found the brush and strolled to where the horses were all kept. Not one of the Raiders bothered her, though several waved when they caught her eye. She waved back and smiled, much more relaxed.

Now as she stroked the brush down Argo's side her thoughts were not on the many interesting and somewhat overwhelming Raiders, but instead they were lost in rich blue eyes. Another smile broke the bard's young face. Sometimes she couldn't believe that it had only been four years since the Warrior Princess had come into her life like a Champion of the Gods. There had been a few times when she had to rethink her decision to follow Xena, but then those eyes would flash into her mind and she knew deep in her heart that she belonged with Xena, no matter what the cost or danger…or lose

They were bound by something more than friendship, even something more than love. It went beyond them both, a force that had brought them together and had kept them together. Nothing, not even Dahak, could sever that bond.

A shudder ran through Gabrielle's entire body, and she stopped her brushing, which promptly got her a nicker from Argo. "Well, I'm terribly sorry to have stopped," she said to the mare as she resumed her stroking with the brush.

Everything had changed the day Dahak entered their lives through his faithful follower Krafstar. Even though several months had past since their trip to Britannia, the nightmares still haunted the bard's sleep. Terrible visions of blood, being engulfed in flames, the horrible pain of giving birth, but most especially the face of Hope. That face that was exactly like her own. Yet the eyes had always been so empty of love and compassion, filled with only hate and evil.

Another shudder.

"Are you cold?" A gentle voice came from behind, startling her.

Gabrielle whipped around to face the new comer. Once she saw the smiling green eyes of the older woman, she let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh, you scared me. I'm sorry."

"No, I apologize," the woman said coming up next to Gabrielle to pet Argo's neck. "I shouldn't sneak up on people like that. I'm Bacchae." She extended her arm to the younger woman.

With a frown Gabrielle clasped the offered arm. "Another one of those strange names."

"It's not so strange," Bacchae said with a slight shrug. "If you're a Raider that is."

The woman laughed mirthfully and Gabrielle couldn't help but laugh along with her. She took in the woman's garb from head to toe and noticed that she was not dressed in armor like the other Raiders. Though her clothes were similar to the other Raider's in color and style, they looked much less like a uniform and more like regular clothing.

"So you must be Queen Gabrielle, of the Amazons." Bacchae bowed slightly.

Gabrielle made a face. "I'm sorry. I must seem very rude, huh?"

"Not at all. I think you're quite adorable, your Highness."

The bard's face colored to a bright crimson and her eyes fell to her boots. "Thank you, but please call me Gabrielle."

"My pleasure." Bacchae's green eyes twinkled.

Gabrielle lifted her eyes and her face instantly deepened its color. The attraction was openly evident Bacchae's eyes. "Uh…I was just here…brushing Xena's horse," she said nervously. She turned, feeling the other woman's eyes on her as she passed the brush down Argo's sleek side. "Have you met Xena yet?"

"Ah yes, I did have the pleasure. I was dismissed from the tent just now, and I'd heard so much about you that I had to come find you, see for myself." Bacchae rubbed her hand down Argo's nose and clicked her tongue, receiving a nicker in response. "She really is amazing."

"Yes, she's a beautiful horse, if you like horses that is," Gabrielle replied.

A head toss and whinny from Argo.

"No offense, girl."

That got a hearty laugh from Bacchae. "No, I was talking about Xena, but I'm sure her horse is just as amazing." She could see how uncomfortable she was making the young blonde woman so she changed the subject to one that she knew would draw her in. "Do you have any of your scrolls with you?"

Gabrielle's head turned, a sparkle in her green eyes. "Of course I do. Why?"

"I've heard that you're a bard. So am I. I'd like to read some of your scrolls if that's alright with you."

"That would be fine," Gabrielle said excitedly. "A bard…really?"

The look of mixed doubt and utter joy on the younger woman's face made Bacchae burst out laughing. That got a very confused and embarrassed look from the young bard, which made the older woman laugh harder. "What, am I, too old to be a bard or something?" she managed to get out finally.

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Gabrielle hastened to explain. "I'm just always surprised to find other bards. Delightedly surprised."

"Oh, I'm sure that's what you meant," Bacchae teased. She nudged the young bard in the ribs playfully. "I know I must seem ancient to you."

"Gods, no. I don't think that. It's just that you can't always tell who's a bard and who isn't. It's not like we have it stamped on our foreheads or something." She grinned sheepishly.

"How true that is."

Gabrielle looked up at Bacchae through veiled eyes, a blush coming to her face and she asked, "Could I…uh…read some of…your scrolls? I understand if you don't--"

Bacchae silenced her by pressing a finger over her lips. "I would be honored if you read my scrolls, Gabrielle." She put a hand on the blonde's shoulder and squeezed gently in assurance. "We can trade bardic secrets."

"Bardic secrets? I don't have any secrets. In fact, I'm not really that great of a bard. I haven't been writing like I should. There just hasn't been the time lately. Or any inspiration." Her voice became melancholy and distant. Her eyes turned down to the brush she held in her hand as memories of Hope and her son flashed in her mind. Had it been only a few months since she'd reunited with Xena to find her daughter was posing as her? It seemed like a lifetime ago and like yesterday all at the same time. Only the hard, wooden handle of the brush and the squeezing hand on her shoulder kept her in the present, reminding her that all was done and over with, and for that she was grateful.

"Hey, even the best bards don't write day and night," Bacchae said quietly, sensing Gabrielle's grief. The pain the young woman was feeling was evident to her. She knew pain well, and it sometimes still overcame her when memories of her sister surfaced. The best thing was to get Gabrielle's mind off the pain and onto happier subjects. "If you're done here, why don't we go now and read our scrolls? How does that sound to you?"

Gabrielle seemed to perk up at the words, though the pain was still present in her sea green eyes. "Sure, I'd love too. Give me a moment to finish here with Argo and then we can go to your tent."

"Sounds good to me." Bacchae nodded, her eyes watching the young woman appraisingly. Sounds very good to me.
 
 

End Chapter 4