Disclaimers:
This story is categorized as fan fiction. The characters of Xena,
Gabrielle, et al, which have appeared in the series Xena: Warrior
Princess, belong to the producers, writers and executives of
Renaissance Pictures and MCA/Universal Television. I claim only to have
borrowed them, without intent to profit or infringe these rights, for
the purpose of creating this story for enjoyment of
the series' fans, of which I count myself one of many.
Additionally, the story below contains references, explicit and
implied, of a sexual relationship between two consenting adults of the
same sex. If you are not of legal age to read this story,
or such material is illegal where you live, or you do not feel
comfortable with such content, please refrain from reading this story.
Timeline Notes: After "New Territory" and between episodes "A Comedy of
Eros" and "The Furies."
CHAPTER TWO - INN OF NO HAPPINESS
"Gabrielle, can we go back to the inn?" Xena put her hand to the
small of Gabrielle's back and stroked gently, conveying, despite
the close press of the crowd, her desire... to be elsewhere.
Gabrielle gripped the hand gently but put it off her back.
The bard looked over her shoulder and up into the eyes of the
woman behind her. "Not yet, Xena. I want to shop a little more.
There's a nice booth up ahead with some parchments and quills for
sale."
"Then let's get up there, and stop this."
"Not yet. I'm not done." Gabrielle was firm. She'd been cooped up
in the inn where they'd gotten a room -- at Xena's suggestion,
for the last two days. Despite the proximity of the bed, they'd
made love everywhere in that room except on it. Any hour of the
day or night. Gabrielle was tired.
As the bard moved toward the booth with the parchments, knowing
that to push the issue would put the warrior in a foul mood, she
considered everything that Xena did during their almost marathon
sessions. Xena was very creative, finding new spots to caress,
lick, or rub which made Gabrielle's head swim with the release of
orgasm after orgasm.
So, what is wrong, Gabrielle? The bard mused, feeling Xena's hand
again stroking the small, exposed portion of her lower back.
While she tamped down on the emotions the sensations caused, she
wondered if somehow she wasn't enough for her partner. "Xena?"
The warrior leaned close and murmured, "Hmm?"
Gabrielle winced at the dreaminess in the warrior's voice. "Xena,
tonight can we eat downstairs?"
"Don't you like taking our meals in the room?"
Gabrielle nodded. "Yes, but... Well, we haven't seen anyone else
in a long time. I kind of miss telling my stories."
"You can always tell them to me," Xena replied, leaning close and
stroking the bard's cheek. She drew Gabrielle's face around and
smiled when their eyes met. "You haven't told me one in a while."
"Yeah, but, Xena... An audience of one? I won't become a famous
bard if I keep my audiences that small." Gabrielle sighed when
Xena frowned. "Never mind." She stopped in front of the parchment
booth and turned away from Xena to discuss a purchase with the
merchant. "I need several rolls of parchment," Gabrielle asked.
"I have lovely papyrus parchments. Very smooth." He reached over
to their left and brought a sample close. "See? I also have soft
nib quills for that perfect stroke."
Gabrielle nodded and pointed to the parchment. "Just the
parchment. I need eight sheets. How much?"
The merchant quoted, "13 dinars."
Gabrielle replied, "It's unevenly cut. I won't give you more than
eight."
The merchant replied, "Are you mad? This was arduously smoothed."
He ran a finger across the surface. He replied with a counter
offer. "I'll take 12. No less."
Xena sighed and stepped back, letting Gabrielle haggle. When the
bard finished, she had eight sheets of parchment, a new quill and
new ink for ten dinars. Gabrielle watched the warrior shake her
head. "Ready to go, Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle looked over her shoulder. "Yes." She tucked her new
purchases into her satchel and linked her arm with Xena's. "Let's
go enjoy a nice meal. Downstairs."
Xena groaned. "Then a bath?" Her voice was hopeful. She laid a
hand on Gabrielle's shoulder and lightly rubbed the pad of her
thumb over the bard's exposed skin.
Gabrielle fell into bargaining mode quickly. "Xena, if it bothers
you that much, I tell you what. I'll eat downstairs and you can
eat in the room."
"No."
Gabrielle sighed. Xena didn't bargain very well. Gabrielle was
determined to not go back to that room until very late. When
exactly, at least, was up for discussion. "Xena, I'm eating
downstairs. Then I might tell a few stories to the patrons. Now,
can you join me for the meal at least?" Xena met Gabrielle's
green eyes and slowly, she nodded. "Good," replied Gabrielle.
"Let's go. I don't want to get the stew from the bottom of the
pot. It's always a little burnt."
Gabrielle and Xena returned to the inn where they had their room.
In the tavern dining room, Gabrielle led Xena to a quiet table
near the back and let the warrior take the seat against the wall.
A buxom tavern maid appeared at their table.
None too soon for Gabrielle. The warrior had slipped her foot out
of her right boot and was running the rough pads of her toes
enticingly up Gabrielle's left leg. The bard sighed and looked up
at the maid. "I'll have ale."
"Port," offered Xena, her eyes never moving from watching
Gabrielle's face in profile.
"Anything t' eat?"
"Two bowls of your stew," supplied Gabrielle who frowned when the
warrior only shot the maid a disgruntled "would you go away"
look.
"Sure. It'll be a few minutes. We just started another pot."
Gabrielle smiled warmly, tucking her legs beneath her further,
out of the reach of Xena's foot. "Great!" In her anticipation,
Gabrielle could fairly taste it, just thinking about fresh stew.
The maid left them, and Gabrielle turned a frown on Xena. "That
wasn't very helpful, Xena."
The warrior smiled... lecherously, a look Gabrielle had come to
associate with a particularly vigorous night ahead. "Sorry," she
said but didn't sound sincere.
"Xena, this has to ... stop. No, well, not exactly stop, but..."
Gabrielle lowered her voice. "Please slow down."
Xena sat back, looked around the room once then back at
Gabrielle's intent look. "I don't understand."
Gabrielle sighed. "I can't do this here, now. When we get in the
room later I'll explain." Xena's face took on a decidedly
dejected look, and Gabrielle's heart melted... a little. But she
knew she couldn't relent; her body was tired. "Please?" she added
gently and took Xena's hands in her own before the warrior could
drop them in her lap. It was a gesture Gabrielle had quickly
learned was Xena's way of drawing into herself, shielding herself
from a painful thought.
Xena was indeed thinking painful thoughts. Gabrielle had been not
interested in physical intimacy at all today, whereas Xena
couldn't stop thinking about it at any given moment.
She realized that Gabrielle was still waiting for some sort of
response to her request that she slow down. "I guess so," she
replied quietly.
The tavern maid returned with their drinks and Xena downed hers
in two quick gulps. "Another," she asked because the maid wasn't
yet even out of earshot.
Gabrielle looked at Xena and wondered what was going on in that
raven head. Xena seemed distressed about something. Especially if
she was tossing back port like it was water. "Xena? Are you all
right?"
"I'm fine, Gabrielle," she replied curtly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Are you really that upset that we're not having dinner in the
room?"
Xena studied Gabrielle's face a long time before replying,
tracing with her eyes the path her fingers longed to trace along
the bard's cheek, throat and collarbone. "It's not the dinner,"
she replied simply, knowing that was a half-truth.
Gabrielle nodded. "Okay, it's not the dinner. We'll talk about it
later then?"
Xena shrugged, shook her head, then nodded. "What do you want me
to say?"
Gabrielle sighed ... very gently. "All right, we'll do more than
talk." Xena's head shot up and a genuine smile, one of the
warrior's soft ones, graced her face at last. And Gabrielle
remembered why she had wanted this woman in the first place. "I
promise," she added quietly. "Just bear with me. All right?"
Xena nodded. The tavern maid returned with their stew bowls and
while Xena ate quickly, Gabrielle interspersed her appreciative
bites of the stew with musings on what story she ought to tell on
the performance step that night.
"How about how you freed Death from Sisyphus?" she asked the
warrior, always careful, as usual, to check with Xena first
before telling a story in public about her. Xena nodded. "All
right. 'Death in Chains' it is," decided the bard, already
thinking ahead quickly, scanning the room to determine her
'angle' for this audience.
Xena smiled, feeling less put out watching Gabrielle begin to
glow. It came from the bard's expectation and excitement about
storytelling, and filled her face. That excitement, which
Gabrielle got when she was in full bard mode, spoke to Xena like
a siren's song. She loved listening to her voice, watching the
muscles in her throat, following the bard's hands as she used
them to help her set a scene, or a mood, or describe a character.
Gabrielle was so physical when she told a story; Xena just
couldn't get enough of watching her.
Gabrielle quickly finished her stew, swallowed the last of her
ale and stood up. She looked to Xena who offered a smile, then
walked, straightening her shoulders, to the performance step.
"Good evening, citizens. I have a tale for you tonight."
Xena waved the tavern maid down and requested another port and a
mug of water, for Gabrielle when she finished. On the step,
Gabrielle began her tale and Xena closed her eyes, trying to shut
out the room at large and believe the story was being told just
for her ears. It didn't work. Her keen hearing picked up all the
conversations that continued despite Gabrielle's performance. A
pair of men argued over a game of Axes and Hammers. At another
table a merchant arranged delivery of some bolts of cloth to the
wife of the leader of the town council.
Satisfied she wasn't hearing any negative comments about
Gabrielle's presence on the step, Xena settled back, sipped her
port and absorbed the bard's tale. Gabrielle came upon the end,
her voice edged with the sadness she'd felt all those moons ago.
"When Death was freed, she said she'd come, not for Sisyphus, but
for Talus. My heart broke. Such a brave young man didn't deserve
to die. I demanded of Celeste, since we had freed her, for her to
grant him his life. But Talus didn't want that. I looked at Xena.
I knew she had known. He'd been ill a long time, and in a lot of
pain. Death was welcome for him. Together Xena and I watched
Talus follow Celeste into the swirling mists of a gate to the
Underworld."
Gabrielle finished her story to the clapping and cheering of the
tavern's guests. She nodded, curtsied and stepped down. She
accepted quiet words of praise as she passed patrons, while
walking back to the table she shared with Xena.
"Well done, Gabrielle," commented Xena. She pushed the mug of
water close to the bard. "Here, I think you need this."
Gabrielle smiled and drank the water gratefully. Xena watched her
closely, looking for something in Gabrielle's face, the bard
could tell. Hopefully when they were alone in the room Xena would
let her in on her thoughts. She finished her water and pushed the
mug aside. "Ready to go upstairs?"
Xena nodded. "Finally," she murmured under her breath as she
stepped out from behind the table to follow Gabrielle to the
rooms above.
Chapter 3
Back to Xena Fanfic Home
Send Feedback