It was a dark and stormy night. Too dark and too stormy, Gabrielle thought with a miserable sigh, looking out at the pelting rain from beneath the makeshift shelter they'd set up with an old cowhide strung between two trees. It didn't really do much to protect them, and Xena's mood had gone from bad to worse in a matter of minutes. Once the full anger broke loose, Gabrielle planned to get out of her way until it blew over, which might be a while, considering how furious she was at Ares. It was Gabrielle's opinion that Xena's latest...tiff...with the God of War was why this storm had blown up so suddenly and with such intensity. She was sure he'd run crying to daddy and...well, this was the result.
"You sure there's no place nearby we can go for shelter?" she ventured, raising her voice to be heard above the pouring rain.
Xena grunted.
Better start the countdown, Gabrielle thought. Explosion in...
A bolt of lightning zigzagged down from the sky to strike the road they'd left not more than thirty minutes earlier.
Gabrielle swallowed uneasily. The rain had been one thing. Annoying, but hardly deadly. Lightning was an entirely different matter, and she didn't like the thought that they'd angered a god enough for him to actually go on the warpath after them.
"Xena, did that seem a little...too coincidental?"
"Grow up, Gabrielle," Xena snapped. "It's just a little bit of..."
Another bolt struck closer, as if it were working its way toward them.
"I don't like this," Gabrielle insisted. "It's like...it's like..." She peeked out from beneath the cowhide in time to see the heavens open up to reveal glittering stars. Not good. Definitely not good in the middle of a...
"Oh, shit!" Gabrielle exclaimed when an angry face peered down, searching the countryside. Hands appeared, shoving the clouds further apart, and for a moment, the rain dwindled.
"See, Gabrielle," Xena said smugly. "Storm's over. Nothing to worry..."
"Xena!" Gabrielle screamed, pushing Xena one direction while she leapt the other. "Look out!"
They rolled out from beneath the cover of their shelter and into the open in time for Gabrielle to see Xena look skyward for her first glimpse of the almighty Zeus.
"Hmm," she said evenly. "He looks pissed."
"At us," Gabrielle insisted, grabbing Argo's reins. "Let's get out of here before he..."
If he hadn't drawn back and taken aim, they might not have made it out alive, but as the Fates would have it, he apparently intended to take them out with one final blow.
"Xena!"
"Run!" Xena commanded, shoving her forward. "Let Argo go, run, and don't look back!"
Gabrielle did as commanded. The bolt, she assumed, struck their campsite; it also shattered the ground and she spent what seemed like an hour dodging crevices that criss-crossed back and forth across the ground behind her before spreading in front of her. In the darkness, the only thing that prevented her from tumbling in head first was blind luck...and the surge of light some of them emitted.
It was hours later that she broke free of the dense forest and staggered out into the open. Completely soaked, and chilled to the bone, she could hardly walk for shivering, so she staggered down a slope to the road. She was so tired that she didn't even care any more. Zeus could strike her down and she'd die happily. At least she wouldn't be wet or cold and maybe she could finally get a decent night's sleep.
Instead of rain, stars winked overhead, and even in her exhausted state the bard in her managed to pick out the glittering forms of the gods smiling down at her from the heavens. Maybe Zeus had just been pissed at Xena and...Her chest ached at the thought as her brain came back to life. Xena! Where was she? And, was she all right? She had to go back, had to at least look for her friend, had to-
A strong hand grabbed the back of her tunic and jerked her roughly backwards, a rough hand clamping tightly over her mouth before she could scream. "Lookie what we've got here. It's a purty little girl."
"Tie 'er up," grunted another. "We'll make a few dinars off 'er at the slave market tomorrow."
Her captor shifted position, wrapping his arm around her waist so he pinned her to his body. She felt his body respond to her and groaned mentally. As if it wasn't bad enough that she'd been soaked and frozen and almost killed, now...
His hand felt up the front of her tunic, grabbing roughly at her breast. "Ain't much here, but I want to get some use of it before we..."
The barbarian grunted, jerking back suddenly, and then she was free.
"Run, Gabrielle!"
"Xena?" She turned to search the darkness.
Behind her stood the headless body of a thief, she guessed, from his dress. She looked down at the head, rolling across the road, and the body pitched forward, giving her only a moment to jump out of the way.
"Into the castle!" Xena commanded from the shadows, and her chakram sang out again in the night.
Gabrielle jerked right to avoid it. "Castle?" she repeated blankly, then saw it, looming at the end of the road she'd been following. Even blinded by exhaustion, she couldn't believe she'd missed it. Then she hesitated. There had to be some way she could help...
"Go!" Xena bellowed, and Gabrielle obediently bolted, leaving the sounds of battle behind.
She didn't think she'd ever make it from the mud to the paving stones of the courtyard; when she did, she stumbled, surprised by the change. Stopping, she looked back over her shoulder, hoping to see Xena.
"You hurt?" asked a voice at her elbow.
Gabrielle jumped, a small scream escaping her throat. "I hate it when you do that," she complained.
"You're bleeding," Xena observed.
"It's nothing," Gabrielle said, since she hadn't even noticed the small wound on her arm before now. "I just want to sleep. Somewhere warm. Somewhere dry." She blinked. "Are you all right? You were the one fighting."
Xena smiled and led the way to the castle's heavy wooden door. "Not very secure," she said after a cursory glance, throwing her shoulder against it. For a moment, the door resisted, then it opened with a protesting moan.
Xena glanced around the candle-lit entryway with a scowl. When they got out of there, after they'd both had a good night's sleep, she was going to take the night's events up with Ares. She didn't need Zeus added to the list of beings who wanted her head.
"Xena?" Gabrielle asked. "Shouldn't someone have noticed us?"
She turned worriedly; she didn't like the sound of Gabrielle's voice. "You sure you're okay?"
Gabrielle nodded. "Bed?"
"What about some food first?"
Gabrielle wavered, but Xena caught her before she hit the floor. "Bed it is," she announced.
Supporting Gabrielle with one arm, she moved forward, searching the castle for some sign of life. Gabrielle leaned her head on her shoulder and Xena couldn't help but smile. She liked it when Gabrielle needed her, though she'd never admit it to the younger woman.
"Doesn't look like there's anybody home," Gabrielle said.
"Then who lit all these candles?" she asked, not sure she'd ever seen so many candles in one place in her life.
The hollow sound of footsteps echoed on the slate floor and both women glanced up suddenly. Xena's arm slid from around Gabrielle's waist and slipped silently to her sword; from the corner of her eye, she could see Gabrielle pulling herself together, ready to fight if it came to it.
A young man, probably no older than Gabrielle, clean-shaven, his tunic rather out of style, appeared in the doorway leading further into the castle and Xena eyed him suspiciously.
"Welcome," he said with a low bow. "I see you're making yourselves at home."
"We're travelers," Xena said, still suspicious, "seeking shelter for the night."
"Then you've come to the right place," he assured her. "I am Alluicious, and you are most welcome in my home."
"Aren't you a little young to be the lord of the castle?" Xena asked, sizing him up. He hardly seemed like any threat, but she well knew appearances could be deceiving.
"Illness," he said with a sad smile, "has claimed the rest of my family."
"Illness?" Gabrielle asked worriedly. "Xena, maybe we'd better..." Gabrielle grabbed her arm, jerking on it urgently. "Get..." She jerked again. "Out..." Another jerk. "Of here."
"How long ago did you lose your family?" Xena asked Alluicious, ignoring Gabrielle. She sniffed the air. "There's no scent of illness in the air here."
"Alas," he said, his smile never wavering, "I've been alone here for more years than I care to count."
"Probably more than he can count," Gabrielle said under her breath.
Alluicious seemed to notice Gabrielle for the first time, and smiled at her, his eyes lighting. "Looks like he likes you," Xena muttered.
"Not my type."
"I'll remind you of that as he's kicking us back out into the night."
"Very funny."
"Follow me," he invited, his smile growing, though Xena didn't think he could have overheard them, "and I'll show you to your rooms."
They followed Alluicious into a larger room with a high ceiling, filled with furniture and riches that Xena was surprised to find lying out in the open.
"This explains the thieves," Gabrielle said quietly.
"And, raises a lot of questions," Xena agreed. "Questions that I'm inclined to leave unasked in exchange for a bed for the night."
"Sounds good to me," Gabrielle agreed as they followed the young lord up a broad staircase.
It was almost too good to be true. A huge castle, a friendly lord -- as long, Gabrielle amended mentally, he didn't get too friendly -- and more room than he knew what to do with. She guessed that, as long as they kept their hands off the treasure, they could probably stay as long as they wanted...not that she wanted to stay. She just wanted a warm place to sleep for the night.
She glanced behind her as she trailed after Xena up the stairs. She couldn't believe such wealth, such extravagance, such...
She gasped. The treasure was gone, replaced with rotted chests and skeletal remains. The furniture lay in ruins, the tapestries in tatters, and heavy blankets of cobwebs covered everything. Why hadn't they seen it before? How could they have missed it? What in Hades' name was going on?
"Xena! Xena! Look!" Gabrielle demanded, pulling on her arm.
Xena tried to shake her off, but sometimes the little blond could be as tenacious as a leech. "What?"
"Look!" Gabrielle insisted, pointing back down the stairs.
"What?" Xena asked again.
Gabrielle turned back, her eyes going wide. "I don't understand it. It was...was...everything was broken down and there were cobwebs everywhere."
Xena felt embarrassed, not only for herself, but for Gabrielle as well. "She's tired," Xena offered, turning around to face their host. "Please excuse her. She's just...tired." She grabbed Gabrielle, shoving her up the stairs ahead of her. "Go on, Gabrielle," she whispered, "or we're going to lose our warm beds for the night."
Gabrielle sighed as the brush slid through her hair. The young lord had provided her with hot water and she'd even mustered the energy to bathe. Now that she had on a clean robe and sat in front of the fire burning in the fireplace, she was ready to drop.
Maybe Xena was right; maybe she had just imagined what she'd seen downstairs. When she'd looked back down, everything was back to normal, and...She yawned. Maybe she'd been so tired she'd dreamed it awake. She nodded. Yeah. That had to be it.
She yawned again; time to sleep. Definitely time to sleep.
Setting the brush aside, she slipped between the covers of the bed. Soft. Clean. Warm. Pulling the blankets up to her chin, she leaned out of the bed long enough to blow out the candle on the bedside stand. She lay there for what seemed like long minutes, watching the fire burn in the fireplace.
Then her eyes closed slowly, and she drifted off into a sweet, dreamless sleep.
Gabrielle woke to something tickling her neck. "G'way, Argo," she mumbled, swatting at it, but instead of the horse's warm, whiskery muzzle, her hand encountered something cold and vaguely slimy.
Her eyes popped open and she scrambled away from it, only to be reminded that she wasn't camping when she fell painfully out of the bed. She hit the tiled floor with a grunt, but rolled to her feet with a speed she thought Xena would have been proud of, if Xena hadn't been in her own room across the hall.
There was something, white and misty and vaguely luminous in the light from the fire dying in the fireplace, hovering over the spot where she'd been sleeping. The sight made Gabrielle's skin prickle with fear, and she groped blindly for the staff she always left propped nearby, before remembering she'd lost it earlier in the night.
A face formed in the mist, a fanged death's head with glowing red eyes. Then it lunged at her, changing shape as it moved into the form of the young lord who'd shown them to their rooms earlier. He leered at her suggestively.
"No," Gabrielle said, shaking her head. "Oh, no, no, no. I like the room and all, but..." She dashed out the door, slamming it behind her. She leaned on it a moment. "Definitely no."
"Xena," Gabrielle whispered urgently. "Xena, there's something in my room!"
"And now there's something in my room," Xena growled. "Go back to bed."
"I am not going back to bed! I told you something was wrong with this place, and now that something wrong is in my room."
Xena waved dismissively at her, already falling back asleep. Gabrielle looked at the door with a shudder, then crossed the room and shoved one of the ornately-carved chests in front of it. Satisfied that nothing was going to get into the room, at least, not without them hearing it, she padded back to Xena's bed and crawled under the covers with her.
Snuggled against the soft warmth of Xena's chest, her frightened alertness faded, until her fear seemed silly. Of course there hadn't been a ghost in her room. She'd probably still been half asleep when she though she saw the silly thing. She was just letting her imagination run away with her, which was one of the hazards of being a bard, after all. Soon it would be morning, and they'd leave, and everything would be fine.
She was beginning to doze when she felt a hand lightly caress her stomach, then move up to her breast.
"You've stopped shaking," Xena observed, her breath tickling Gabrielle's ear. Fingers lightly pinched tender flesh through the thin fabric. "Let's see if I can make you start again."
Gabrielle felt herself blush, but retorted, "I thought you wanted me to go away and let you sleep."
"But you didn't go away, and now I'm not so interested in sleeping."
Xena's voice alone was enough to send a shiver through Gabrielle, even without the gentle play of fingertips across her body. No longer tired, she leaned her head back against Xena's shoulder, inviting warm lips to kiss her throat. Xena nipped the skin gently, then rolled Gabrielle onto her back and captured her mouth.
Gabrielle wrapped her arms around Xena, relishing in the warmth of the warrior's body against hers. Xena was so strong and yet, occasionally Gabrielle got to glimpse the sensitive side buried deep--deep--inside that rough, curvaceous, sexy exterior.
Xena's squeezed the breast she'd pinched earlier, and Gabrielle arched her back, pushing her breast against Xena's palm, rubbing against it suggestively. That was all the encouragement Xena needed to start tearing at the fabric that separated them. Within moments, their bare flesh touched, and Gabrielle felt an electric thrill run through her body at all the points they touched.
Xena attacked her breast hungrily and Gabrielle groaned, sure she'd never felt anything quite so delicious in her life. Xena sucked, then nibbled, and Gabrielle reached out to grab one firm breast in her hand, retaliating with her fingers and palms until Xena made little growling sounds of approval.
Everywhere Xena touched her, her body sprang to life, longing for more, much more. As if sensing her lust, Xena thrust her hand between Gabrielle's legs, forcing them apart, stroking her way down one and up the other before exploring the blond tangle of hair, driving Gabrielle to the edge of distraction. Why did Xena wait? Why didn't she get on with it? Why didn't she...
Xena plunged her fingers deep inside Gabrielle, who threw her head back with a moan. She tightened her muscles around Xena's fingers, drawing them deeper inside her, feeling them move and explore and dig deeper with each thrust, until Gabrielle felt the muscles tighten in her abdomen. Tighten until she thought she'd scream.
Xena withdrew, much to Gabrielle's dismay, but instead of retreating completely, the warrior's hand found a new target, her wet fingers drawing circular motions around Gabrielle's clit.
Gabrielle had heard tell of ecstasy, though she'd never expected to experience it first hand. It was said it to be a gift of the gods and that one could never experience it in this lifetime, and not on Earth, but as Xena gathered her breast into her mouth again and sucked it seriously as her fingers circled more furiously, Gabrielle felt the tension in her groin build until she couldn't stand it any more.
Gabrielle cried out in triumph as the tension broke and the waves of pleasure washed over her in waves that left her weak and exhausted. Every time, she thought she'd never experience anything better, and every time, Xena somehow managed to surprise her. And, in the midst of the shudders that ran the length of her body, she focused on Xena's face, on the smile and the love she saw in the other woman's eyes.
That was actually better than the sex, no matter how good the sex was.
Which didn't mean the sex should be neglected, of course. She ran one hand lazily down Xena's side to her thigh, teasing the skin with her fingernails.
"All right! All right! Break it up in here!"
Gabrielle jumped in alarm, almost repeating her earlier falling out of bed performance.
Xena turned. "Hekate. Since when did you become a voyeur?"
The goddess shifted one of the torches she held to her left hand, so her right was free to gesture. "This is one of the paths I use to guide the dead to Hades," she said in annoyance. "Do you think I want them traumatized by this obviously lively display?"
"We're at the mouth of Hades?" Gabrielle gasped.
"Where did you think you were?"
"A castle," Xena said dryly.
"And Alluicious didn't tell you why you needed to leave?"
"Alluicious seemed more interested in..." Gabrielle began sourly, then covered her mouth.
"He's what was in your room?"
"I would have told you if you hadn't been trying to shoo me away."
Xena smirked. "It sounds like your minion was interested in a lively display of his own, Hekate. I think that's more likely to traumatize the spirits of the dearly departed than we are."
Hekate made a sound of annoyance.
"We'll be gone by morning," Xena continued. "However, I assume he's here for the duration."
"I'm going to charge by the hour," the goddess grumbled. She took her second torch back into her right hand, using it to point at the table by the bed. "You can leave the dinars there."
"Of course we will," Xena assured her.
Muttering under her breath, the guide of the dead crossed the room; the wall wavered and thinned to transparency as the light from her torches touched it, and she passed through.
"Now, where were we?" Xena asked as soon as the wall resolidified.
"What?"
"Oh, yeah," Xena purred, ignoring Gabrielle's question and recapturing her mouth.
"Xena," Gabrielle sputtered as soon as she was free to speak. "We just got yelled at by a goddess."
"And now we're paying for the room. So," Xena kissed her again, "we really should make the most of it."
Gabrielle opened her mouth to protest, and Xena wiggled a little closer, her hands reminding Gabrielle that there were much better things she could do with her mouth. "You're right," she said, bowing to Xena's undeniable logic. "We should definitely," she kissed the breast held tantalizingly close to her mouth, "get our money's worth."
Written for the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys/Xena: Warrior Princess Fuh-Q Fest.
