Xena & Gabrielle Ch. 05

Author's Note: This is the fifth section to the "true" story of Xena and Gabrielle. You will find this story extremely subtext-friendly. If two women showing their love for one another and having wild sex is not your cup of tea, please find another story you'd like to read. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the series, yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story. Not all sections will contain erotic sex scenes as there is a plot.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own Xena: Warrior Princess, the series, or the characters and I will not be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

Hope you are enjoying my story!!! There is much more to CUM! :)

Chapter Five ::: A New Destination

When Gabrielle awakened the next morning, she stretched her limbs, feeling a bit as though she had gotten drunk the night before. Her head was a bit foggy; she felt kind of 'funny,' and she had no idea why. She glanced over at Xena then, seeing the Warrior Princess stirring something over the fire. Xena was cooking? Something was definitely amiss. Gabrielle always did all the cooking... and Xena was the one who always went out to hunt and gather their food. Now Xena was making breakfast as though it was something she always did.... and most definitely something was amiss indeed.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Thought you would never wake up," Xena said with that famous half-grin of hers. Gabrielle then suddenly noticed Xena wasn't wearing much at all, only her thin shift, and she could see the dark shape of Xena's nipples through the thread-bare fabric of the bodice. Holy Gods! What a site!

Suddenly Gabrielle gasped, realizing that she herself was totally naked, lying uncovered to Xena's gaze. She was instantly flooded with the sweet memories of last night, Xena's kisses, her sighs...... every last passionate second of their lovemaking. Xena had made love to her last night. They were now one.

Seeing the look on Gabrielle's face, the one of surprise and sudden awareness, Xena left the fire, coming to the bard's side. Gabrielle reached for the furs, covering herself, feeling quite shy and very embarrassed by her passionate display last night. She blushed brightly, having trouble meeting Xena's penetrating blue eyes.

"What is it, Gabrielle?" Xena asked, looking a bit worried. She searched Gabrielle's face for a trace of any regret, for signs of pain, for anything that might tell her why Gabrielle was behaving the way she now was.

"N.... nothing, Xena. I just... " Gabrielle said softly, her voice trembling. "I was just thinking about last night. I never... I mean, I am just a little embarrassed this morning. It was different last night... I was so overcome with passion, it was dark, and now with the light of morning----."

"You're feeling regret?" Xena said swiftly, hoping it wasn't true. She didn't want Gabrielle to feel ashamed or unhappy with what they had shared.

"No, no... not at all," Gabrielle said. "Never. I wanted you. I have never wanted anything more. Believe that."

A slow smile came to Xena's face. "I forget how young you are sometimes. It's okay," she said, softly and tenderly caressing the bard's cheek. "I'm making breakfast this morning. I thought you might want to walk down to the stream. To wash up...."

"Ohhh yes... Ohhh...." Gabrielle said, feeling a sticky wetness between her legs. She definitely did need a bath. She winced a little as she sat up on the bedrolls, reaching for her discarded cotton shift nearby. "I do need a bath."

Xena handed Gabrielle a washcloth, a bar of sweet-scented soap, and a length of towelling. "Take your time. I will have breakfast ready when you come back," she said, brushing her lips softly along the bard's cheek.

"Will it be fit to eat?" Gabrielle asked teasingly as she slipped into her shift, easing it down over her body which was covered in tiny little rosy marks Xena had planted upon her the night before with passionate lips.

Xena saw the marks, but said nothing, knowing that soon Gabrielle would discover them for herself. "Hey, you forget, I took care of myself very well before you came along, my bard. I can cook a few things," Xena said in her own defense.

Gabrielle was now dressed and trying to stand on shaking legs. Xena stood, taking Gabrielle's hand and pulling her up easily, smiling when she witnessed the dazed look on the bard's beautiful, young face. "My legs are so wobbly... I wonder what is wrong with me?" Gabrielle said incredulously, holding the toweling, washcloth, and soap against her chest as she looked up into Xena's eyes.

Gabrielle thought she saw a bit of amusement in Xena's gaze. "I think we got a bit wild last night, little one," she said with a chuckle. "I'm surprised you can even walk at all."

Gabrielle blushed hotly once again. "Stop that, Xena. You mustn't talk that way."

"Why not?" Xena asked, knowing she could talk a lot more explicitly, and that she had last night.

"I don't know," came a soft reply. "I'll be right back though. Don't go anywhere."

"I promise I won't. I already had my bath, by the way."

Gabrielle giggled. "We'll have a bath together soon, I promise. This time though, I need to be alone."

Xena nodded in understanding, then turned, tending the fire along with their morning meal. The bard's embarrassment amused her greatly as she found Gabrielle's innocence quite becoming. In time, her little blond lover would get used to her naughty talk and her casual disregard for nudity. She would enjoy every single second of introducing Gabrielle to all the joys they would share now that they were one.

At the stream, Gabrielle slowly walked into the water. She was terribly sore between her legs, and she shuddered seeing streaks of dried blood on her inner thighs. Was she supposed to bleed? Xena hadn't been worried, so she tried to remain calm. She wet the washcloth and applied soap to make a thick lather. She slowly began to wash her body, thinking of the night before. It had been the most intense pleasure she had ever known, and it had been worth the pain and a bit of blood. She was Xena's now, and last night had been incredible. She glided the washcloth up and down her body, getting clean. Suddenly her green eyes went wide, seeing the love marks on her breasts, tummy, and inner thighs. Xena's kisses had left their mark. Once again, Gabrielle was blushing. Never had she imagined she would feel this much embarrassment after Xena and she had joined. The nice warm water of the stream seemed to ease some of the soreness between her thighs as she sat in the water, relaxing and enjoying her bath. After a few moments, she emerged from the stream, drying herself with the towel, and slipping on her shift, which she had barely worn the night before. She walked back to the campsite, joining Xena beside the fire.

Immediately, Xena reached for her, pulling Gabrielle down on her lap. Her lips grazed the bard's cheek, sending shivers down Gabrielle's spine. "Are you alright?" Xena said in a soft whisper. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine, Xena. I'm just a little hungry. And also a little bit sore...." said Gabrielle, as another blush came to her face.

Xena kissed the tip of her nose. "You're supposed to be sore. I made you a nice hot drink. It should help ease the pain a little. I hate to travel so far today. It would be much better if we could stay here a night or two, so that you could rest."

"Why can't we stay?"

"Because in the last village we passed, I heard of an uprising. It's Caesar, Gabrielle. I must go where I am needed. And we must hurry. I won't push you too hard, but we must not waste unnecessary time."

Gabrielle sighed as she reached for the mug of steaming liquid Xena had prepared for her. It contained honey for soothing flavor as well as herbs to ease a bit of Gabrielle's discomfort. Gabrielle took a tiny sip, savoring the delicious flavor her tongue. "This is very nice," she said, leaning back against Xena as the Warrior Princess held her close.

"Wait till you see what I made us to eat," Xena said, reaching her long arms toward the fire although still holding Gabrielle in her embrace. She took fish from the flames which was smoked and wrapped in long corn leaves. She also withdrew some corn cakes from a frying pan, giving a hefty plate to Gabrielle.

"That looks delicious. I'm starving."

"You're always starving, Gabrielle," chuckled the Warrior Princess, as she added more food to the plate for herself. Today they would share. "But you always walk while I am riding.... you need the extra nutrients. Your muscles are becoming quite toned, especially those in your legs. You have a lot of strength in your legs, Gabrielle. Your fighting skill is growing. Everything I have taught you in the weeks following Perdicus's death you have learned quite diligently. You are becoming quite the warrior, my lovely little bard."

Gabrielle shrugged, taking some food from the plate and sampling a bite. Xena had done a fine job with cooking their breakfast. Everything on the plate was tasty and nourishing. "I could never outfight you, Xena. But yes, I can defend myself.... and I feel like I could possibly put Callisto in her place. That is if we ever find her. We are still looking for Callisto, Xena, aren't we?" Gabrielle asked, hoping Xena hadn't forgotten their quest to make Callisto pay for taking Perdicus's life and spilling his innocent blood.

"Of course we are, Gabrielle. I haven't forgotten my promise to you to make that hateful bitch pay, but right now she's in hiding.... and it won't be long till she crawls out from the dark, dank place where she hides. When she does, we strike. Till then, we still have the greater good to think of, as well as those who need our assistance. I know you have been through a lot lately, and you probably don't want to go along with me to try to put Caesar in his place, not when he has vowed to kill us both, but I have to do this, Gabrielle. Do you understand?"

"I am with you all the way, Warrior Princess, just like always," Gabrielle promised. "And don't worry about me. I'm tough. I'll be fine."

Xena gave the younger woman in her arms a gentle squeeze as they finished their morning meal. "Good, cause there is nothing I want more than you by my side," she replied, placing a soft kiss on the top of Gabrielle's blond head. "How was your bath, by the way?"

"It was very nice," said Gabrielle with a contented sigh, leaning back against Xena as she licked her fingers clean of the morsels of food which yet clung there.

"Mmmmmm," came a soft groan, as Xena pressed a hot kiss along Gabrielle's neck, her hands reaching around to mold against Gabrielle's body, one hand capturing a firm young breast and another sliding between the bard's thighs. She heard Gabrielle's sharp intake of breath, but she wasn't protesting.

"How sore are you, little one....here?" she asked, her fingers pressing lightly to Gabrielle's secret places.

"I'm okay," said Gabrielle breathlessly, not knowing how much more of this she could take. She was truly quite sore, but she didn't want to sound like a whining child.

"You have till tonight to heal," Xena said, letting Gabrielle go and gathering their things before the fire. "Tonight I want you again."

Gabrielle moved to clean the plate the had shared, then pack away their bedrolls. She glanced over at Xena as she was packing things into their saddlebags and preparing Argo to ride. "Will it hurt again? Like last night?" she asked.

Xena put out the fire, then packed up the last of their supplies. "No, never will it hurt like that again. I promise. Tonight there will be only pleasure. You're still going to be quite sore for a few days, so I will be especially careful," Xena promised. "You should ride with me today, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle shook her head. "No, that will only make the soreness worse," she disagreed. "I need to walk." Gabrielle reached for her staff and started walking toward the road. She knew they had many miles to go, so they must start sometime. She hardly ever rode upon Argo with her warrior. She preferred walking. Her long muscular legs were proof of the many many miles she had walked.

"Let's go, Girl," Xena said to Argo, coaxing her beautiful honey- colored mare toward the road. Argo moved at a slow even pace, galloping to keep time with Gabrielle's gate. It was going to be a long day. Xena hoped that they would cover several miles by nightfall.

Hours passed, and they only stopped to have a bite to eat, and so Gabrielle could have a drink and rest her legs. Xena was pushing them harder than she wished she had to. She knew the bard was very tired and required some much needed rest. "How much longer, Xena?" asked Gabrielle as she leaned against her staff and Xena passed the water skin to her. She took a long drink, then passed the water skin back to her dark-haired lover.

"A couple more hours. Then we make camp. I promise to find us something nice to eat."

"I'm not even hungry, Xena. All I want is sleep."

Xena raised an eyebrow. "You not hungry? Are you ill, Gabrielle?" Xena asked, softly pressing her palm to Gabrielle's fair- skinned forehead.

"No, every muscle on my body aches. I just need to rest," Gabrielle said, using her staff to prop herself up, so she wouldn't fall over.

"Awwww, I know, Baby," Xena said, pulling her into her arms. "I'm so sorry I must push us so hard. I will give you a nice long massage after dinner. I will make you feel so good, so relaxed...."

"Mmmmmmmm...." Gabrielle whispered, thinking of Xena's skillful hands all over her body.

"Then can we make love again?" the bard asked. "This time, can I make love to you?"

Xena's heart leaped at that question. She didn't know if she could survive Gabrielle's lips and hands on her body, yet she ached for it. "If you don't fall asleep," Xena chuckled.

"I won't. I promise," said Gabrielle, pulling back from the embrace. "I love you, Xena. So much. You are everything to me."

"As you are to me," said the Warrior Princess, tenderly brushing a stray tendril of blond hair from Gabrielle's lovely face.

She crushed Gabrielle close for a moment, feeling the young woman's heartbeat against her body. "We must go now, Love. Ride with me," Xena urged, taking Gabrielle's hand and tugging her toward Argo.

"Okay," Gabrielle agreed. Xena was soon atop Argo, then she reached for Gabrielle and helped her astride. Soon they were riding away into the wind, now moving at a much faster pace since they were both riding. The sun was sliding down across the sky, soon it would be night. Gabrielle leaned her face against Xena's broad back, inhaling her scent as she closed her eyes, resting and enjoying the closeness she now shared with her warrior.

About two hours later, Xena pulled Argo to a stop, finding a nice place to make camp close to a small pond. She left Argo's back, then reached for Gabrielle, feeling the bard go pliantly into her arms. "I almost fell asleep," Gabrielle admitted, smiling at the Warrior Princess.

"Don't go to sleep yet. I have plans for you tonight," said Xena in a sexy voice, depositing Gabrielle onto a fallen log.

"Are you talking about that dinner you mentioned earlier?"

Xena laughed. "So you are hungry after all?"

"A bit," said Gabrielle with a small laugh. "What are we having?"

"I haven't gotten us anything yet. You make the fire and set up our bedrolls, and I will have dinner for us soon."

Gabrielle nodded, watching Xena disappear in the forest and then going to do the tasks she had completed nightly hundreds of times. Soon she had a nice cozy cooking fire made and their bedrolls spread out nearby. She mixed up some batter for some simple biscuits, knowing that they would complete any meal, no matter what Xena may be bringing for dinner.

"How's this?" Xena asked, coming back with a fat rabbit which she lay next to the fire.

"It looks... quite edible," Gabrielle spoke, reaching for the carcass so she might prepare it for cooking. "You go take care of Argo, and I will have this ready in no time."

"Sounds good." Xena went to take her beloved mare to the stream for a long drink, then tethered her near some sweet green grass, brushing her down and talking to her gently. "You've decided Gabrielle isn't so bad, haven't you, Girl?" she spoke softly. "Well, you better get used to her, cause she isn't going anywhere. I thought I was going to lose her there for awhile, but she's mine now.... and I'm not letting her go. So you better behave yourself around her, you hear me? No more throwing her off... I love her... so you better behave yourself, Argo." The horse made a snickering noise, then bent down to eat some of the grass.

"I forgive you, Girl," Xena said, petting Argo's mane. "It was just you and me for a very long time. I tend to have a bit of a jealous streak, too, ya know." A laugh came from the warrior as she gave the horse one last pat, then left to return to the campsite.

"How's Argo?" Gabrielle asked, as Xena returned to the fire just in time to see Gabrielle separate the food onto their plates. Xena smiled when she saw the fresh fluffy biscuits along with the succulent rabbit meat that Gabrielle had prepared. Gabrielle gave Xena a tin plate, then sat next to the fire with her own.

"She's great, a bit tired from our long day, but she will be refreshed in the morning after some rest," said Xena as she began to eat her meal.

Gabrielle was a great cook, so she savored every last nourishing bite, thinking herself and the bard a great team. One a capable hunter, securing the meal, and the other an excellent cook, preparing the food so they might enjoy it. "I forgot to tell you, breakfast was wonderful this morning," said Gabrielle in between bites. "I didn't mean it when I said you could not cook."

Xena smiled. "It's true. You out-cook me any day. But that's okay. I do have many skills... many, many skills."

Gabrielle blushed becomingly. "Yes, I know."

"That you do," said Xena as she finished off her last bites. She rinsed her plate and left it close to the fire. It would be there in the morning when they decided to make breakfast. Gabrielle too had devoured every bite of her meal, so Xena reached for her plate, cleaning it before the fire and leaving it with her own.

"Time for bed," Xena said, standing and reaching for Gabrielle. "Come on. You're very tired."

"Yes, but I am aching all over too."

"Take off your clothes and lie down. My hands will make you feel better."

Gabrielle swallowed, looking into Xena's eyes. She didn't doubt that. She slowly began to take off her dress which was dusty from their long day of travelling. She carefully folded it and set it aside. She had on nothing but her underclothes. Xena thought she was undressing too slowly, so she reached for the little bard, removing the last of Gabrielle's clothing and tossing the remaining garments aside.

"Xena, I will undress you now," said Gabrielle boldly. She loved doing this. Removing Xena's armor. Over their time together, it had become Gabrielle's 'job.' With nimble little fingers, Gabrielle undid the ties of her Warrior's armor. She set the breastplate, arm guards, and other pieces of the warrior garb aside, then stared at Xena in nothing but her leathers. "Aren't you hot?" Gabrielle asked.

"I'm always 'hot," said Xena suggestively. "Take the rest of it off... now...."

Gabrielle nodded at her warrior's command. In a moment, she had removed the last of Xena's garments with trembling hands. She gazed at Xena's body in the glowing light of the campfire, drawing in her breath as she gazed at full dark tipped breasts and the carefully trimmed raven hair between Xena's long muscular legs.