No. He’d told her. It was none of that. He simply had fallen in love with her, and didn’t want to leave her to stay with the army. She was not rich, her family had a simple little farm, and he would work the land for her father in payment for his marriage to her. In time, perhaps he would become the man’s son, since he had no other, and one day come into the small patch of land himself.
So alien was the idea to her, Xena had almost choked on a fruit pit and ended her own bloody career in the most undignified of manners.
But she had recovered after a healthy cough, and settled herself down to decide what to do with the fellow. Men did not desert her, and Melen knew that. His life expectancy would have been better if he’d simply slipped away in the night, and vanished. Certainly she would never have looked for him underneath… or behind… some sheep in the hinterlands.
On the one hand, she admired his courage in coming to her. On the other hand, letting him go could have set a precedent dangerous to her cause.
She’d killed him.
Now, lying here in the dark, she finally understood him, and regretted the act, at last having a point of reference to stand on and see why he’d done what he’d done. She wondered, too, what happened to the girl, in that small village on the road to the capital.
They’d stopped there, on the way out this time, and she hadn’t really remembered about it until now. Ah well. Xena closed her eyes and relaxed, leaving her planning for the daylight. Her head still ached, and it was easier to just lie here under her blankets, reveling in the comfortable warmth of her bedmate.
She smiled. A moment later, she was surprised by the sensation of Gabrielle’s lips gently nibbling her shoulder, and she shifted a little, tiling her head to see the faintest outline of the girl’s eyelashes flickering open. “You’re awake.”
Gabrielle nodded, tightening her hold a bit and releasing a sigh.
“Why?”
A shrug. “Just am.” Gabrielle whispered. “I was thinking about all the stuff that happened the last few days.”
“Wouldn’t sleeping be more productive?” Xena asked, practically.
“Probably.” The girl admitted. “But it was so many amazing… scary... things I just keep picturing it all in my head.”
“Mmph.” Xena realized she didn’t have that problem. The memories of the horror she’d lived through were fading into the background, being in the past and not nearly as important to her as the moment right now, or what would happen tomorrow. “Can’t change what happened.” She said. “Only what’s gonna happen.”
“I know.” Gabrielle said. “But I want to make sure I got all the parts right.”
Xena nuzzled her bedmate’s hair. “So you can tell everyone?”
The girl nodded.
“Gonna make me look good?”
Gabrielle laughed very softly. “Xena, you made yourself look good.”
The queen chuckled.
“You were going to die, so we could escape.” The girl murmured. “Everybody knows it.”
If nothing else, Xena was honest with herself. She didn’t see any point in being any less so with Gabrielle. “Those bastards weren’t after you. They were after me, and I walked right into their hands. I’da been too embarrassed to do anything else.”
Gabrielle lifted her head and shifted, so she could look up and see Xena’s face. “Really?”
“Yes.” The queen met her gaze evenly. “I may be a heartless bitch, but I clean up my own messes.”
“That doesn’t change what you did.”
“No.” Xena said. “But it doesn’t make me a pristine heroic virgin, either – so don’t you paint it that way.”
Gabrielle considered that for a while. “Well.” She eventually murmured. “I don’t think even the chief bard of Athens could paint you a virgin, Xena.”
It struck the queen funny, and she snickered soundlessly.
“But… what you did was brave and heroic no matter why you did it, so…” Gabrielle concluded. “That’s what I’m going to tell everyone in my story.” She put her head back down and exhaled, warming Xena’s skin under the shift she was wearing. “You have the soul of hero, y’know.”
Both of Xena’s eyes opened wide, invisible in the darkness. “Hey. Let’s not go overboard.”
Gabrielle gave her a squeeze.
The queen shifted onto her side, rolling over in the small space and keeping Gabrielle’s body pressed against hers. They ended up facing each other, legs tangling together into a position of cozy comfort. Xena put a fingertip on Gabrielle’s nose, then instead of speaking, leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.
There was no hesitation in Gabrielle’s response. She pressed her body against Xena’s and returned the kiss, one hand sliding over and tracing a light pattern on the queen’s back.
There was a hunger there, and it made Xena’s skin tingle. She slipped her fingers under Gabrielle’s tunic and explored her body, cupping the girl’s breast and rubbing the edge of her thumb over one erect nipple. It elicited a soft sound deep in Gabrielle’s throat, and she teetered on the edge of continuing on to a very logical and satisfying conclusion.
Just the thought chased the pain from her, replacing it with a passion almost outside her control.
Almost. Xena broke off the kiss, and pulled back a little, to see Gabrielle’s eyes flutter open, darkened in reflection of the same passion. “Much as I’d love to make you scream like a sheep being chased by Hercules, lambchop... you gotta face all these people over breakfast tomorrow.”
Unexpectedly, Gabrielle grinned, then she let her head rest against Xena’s collarbone, her ribs contracting as she produced a small sigh. “Rats.”
“Where?” Xena glanced around suspiciously.
“No.... I mean…”
Xena rubbed the back of her neck, and smiled. “Yeah, I know what you mean.” She looked past Gabrielle’s head to the banked firepit; it’s glowing embers merely touching them with crimson.
After a moment’s silence, Gabrielle shifted a little. “Xena?”
“Mm?”
“Am I still free?”
Xena blinked, her breath catching in her throat at the unexpected question. Then she relaxed, and resumed a slow stroking under Gabrielle’s shirt. “I said you were, didn’t I?”
Gabrielle cleared her throat. “Well, I know, but I burned your note.”
The queen remembered that moment. That crystal clear moment when through the pain and the fear, and the despair in her heart, the truth of Gabrielle’s devotion was made plain to her. “Yeah. All my hard effort, writing with my bad hand, up in smoke. What a crumb you are.” Xena could hear the husky note in her voice, and she felt a tightening in her throat. She paused a moment, then went on. “Serves me right for trying to make a grand gesture.”
“I thought that’s what I was doing.” Gabrielle admitted. “I wanted you to know that I’d rather die with you, then live without you.”
Xena’s eyes slid shut.
“So… it’s… okay, I mean, it’s okay for me if you take that back…” The girl stumbled through the words, in a soft voice. “I don’t mind being a slave, as long as I’m yours.”
Oh, kid. Xena moved so they were eye to eye again. They stared into each other’s soul for a long heartbeat, then the sharp words already on the tip of the queen’s tongue dissolved, leaving her briefly speechless.
“Honest.” Gabrielle whispered.
Xena’s eyes gentled. “You’re still free.” She finally said.
The girl pulled her closer, and hugged her tightly.
“Course...” The queen remarked, in a wry tone. “I’m not sure I am, anymore.” She tasted the odd truth of that, and reflected again on the oracle’s prediction for her. Open your heart, and see yourself destroyed. Was that more true than she was willing to admit? Xena studied the unresponsive, and possibly spider filled rafters.
Ah well.
Gabrielle released her hold, then planted a few gentle kisses on whatever exposed skin of Xena’s she could find. After a minute or so of this, she rested her head on the pillow again. “Oh… how are you feeling?”
“Horny. You?” The queen replied.
After an embarrassed pause, Gabrielle looked up. “Yes.” She confessed. “But I meant your head.”
“Ah.” Xena wished the rest of the hut’s occupants would vanish. Though they were speaking in whispers, she was very conscious of all the bodies around them. “Better.” She said. “But I think more of this’ll make it better.” She tilted her head and nibbled around Gabrielle’s lips. “Makes the blood rush to my head… heals it faster.”
“Really?” Gabrielle sounded willing to buy into the tale.
“Absolutely.”
“Mm.”
There were no intelligible verbal sounds after that.
**
By morning, it had finally… finally stopped raining. Gabrielle stepped out from the hut into the early rays of sunrise, her breath a distinct fog in the very chill air. The storm had beaten down the foliage around them, and made the ragged shepherd’s shelters even more decrepit looking.
But aside from all that, the sun was now peeking over the tops of the trees and flooding the area, bringing welcome warmth and the start of drying out of the paths that led into the small place.
Gabrielle stood for a moment, just absorbing the wild peace all around her. The only sounds she could hear, aside from the soldiers and servants in the big hut behind her were soft warbling of birds and the sigh of the wind through the branches.
A crunch of footsteps behind her made her turn, smiling when she recognized Brendan. “Good morning.”
The old soldier stopped next to her, and briskly rubbed his hands together. “Morning to you, Gabrielle.” He said. “How’s her Maj doing?”
The girl nodded. “I think she’s okay, you know? I think she’s still hurt, and it’s not really good, but she’s sticking with us.”
Now it was Brendan’s turn to nod. “Listen, Gabrielle…back in t’pass…” He looked off into the woods. “Thought for sure she was just leading em on. Didn’t think she’d...”
“Die for you?” Gabrielle studied his face curiously. It was full of deep lines, and creases, and old pain.
The old soldier half shrugged a shoulder. “She’s t’queen.”
“That’s true.” The girl agreed. “That’s what I thought too. That she should escape and you all cover for her, not the other way around.”
Brendan smiled wryly. “Not her way.” He admitted. “Somehow I’da forgotten that.”
Gabrielle put a hand on his arm. “No matter how mean she seems sometimes, I think she really loves you guys.” She said. ‘You mean a lot to her.”
A rakish grin appeared on the man’s face. “Not nearly as much as you do, little one.”
Gabrielle’s eyes dropped shyly.
“I’ve served her Maj for many years.” Brendan’s tone turned more serious. “Does my heart good to fin’ly see her w’ a bit of joy.” He cleared his throat. “Glad we found a way out of that damn mountain... she deserves more’n a bit.”
“You really feel like that?” A strange voice interrupted. Both Gabrielle and Brendan turned, to see one of the older servants behind them. “After all she…?”
Brendan studied the woman. “Aye.” He answered, simply. “She’s a hard one, but fair in ‘er guts.”
It was, Gabrielle thought, and apt summation.
“Got a taste for blood, she does.” The woman shook her head.
And that also was apt. “I think rulers are supposed to.” Gabrielle said, softly. “All these people, all those men in all those fine clothes… they’re the same way. She’s just better at it.”
The woman pondered her words. Then she grunted, shrugged a shoulder, and wandered back into the hut. She started as she reached the opening, then ducked aside and touched her forehead.
Gabrielle was not surprised to see Xena emerge, bedfurs wrapped around her like a royal cloak. The queen’s dark hair was pulled back and caught in a casual knot, and her pallor was painfully evident in the bright morning light.
But the blue eyes brightened on seeing her, and Xena emerged with a tolerably firm step to join them outside the hut. “Ah. There’s my muskrat.” She rasped.
Brendan glanced at the blushing Gabrielle, and chuckled slightly. “And a good morning to you, Mistress.” He greeted the queen. “Weather’s turned.”
“About gods be damned time.” Xena looked around. “Might even hold a day or two.” She studied the wild forest. “We’re gonna have to follow the river down to the stronghold. Going back up the pass would be a bad idea.”
“Aye.” The soldier nodded. “Feeling better, Mistress?”
A dark eyebrow arched at him “I’m alive.” She leaned her free arm on Gabrielle’s shoulder. “I intend to stay that way.” Shadowed eyes gazed off into the distance. “Get ready to move out.”
Brendan nodded and turned, heading back to the hut without comment.
Gabrielle waited for him to enter the building before she looked up at her queen. “Wouldn’t it be better for you to rest a while longer?”
Xena tilted her head and looked down. “Yeah.” She agreed frankly. “But if I have to spend one more damned minute in that flea infested goat’s hut, I’m gonna lose it and start hacking the heads off the nearest breathing bodies. Wanna watch?”
There was a long pause. “Um… no… not really.” Gabrielle finally said.
“Didn’t think so.” The queen sighed. “I’m worried someone might catch us in here. Not good.” She said. “Better to move out, and make our way down the ridge.” Her eyes closed briefly, and she lifted one hand to rub her temple. “Ugh.”
Gabrielle slid an arm around her. “You know what I miss?”
“You have me.” Xena responded. “What else could there be?”
“I miss Patches.” The girl admitted. “If we had horses, we could make a little cart for you to ride in.” She said. “Maybe we can make one anyway and the guys can pull it… foflp.” Gabrielle looked up in surprise as Xena’s fingers pinched her lips shut.
“Listen here, little muskrat.” Xena whispered into her ear. “You really think I’d let that happen?” She waited, and then removed her hand.
Misty green eyes regarded her solemnly. “Yes.” Gabrielle said. “If I asked real nicely, I think you would.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah.’ Gabrielle nodded. “Cause then you could blame it on me.” She grinned. “Say you were humoring your… um…”
“Sexy, and unexpectedly bright delicious little bed partner.” Xena finished, with a faint twinkle in her eyes. “Why, Gabrielle. You’re getting positively sneaky.”
“Bed partner.” The girl flushed a little. “Is that a step up from love slave?”
Xena ruffled her hair with rough affection. “You’re not a slave anymore, remember?”
“So… it’s only half true, now?” Gabrielle responded.
The queen steered her towards the hut, pausing before they reached the entrance and turning to face her, an unexpectedly serious expression on her face. “Know what?”
“What?”
“I miss my horse, too.” Xena said. “He was a good friend.”
Gabrielle looked at her. “What was his name?”
The queen carefully looked around, and then lowered her voice. “Tiger.”
“That’s a wonderful name.” Gabrielle leaned her head against Xena’s shoulder, and they walked inside the hut together. “I bet he finds his way back to you. Wouldn’t that make a great story?”
“Gabrielle, he’s not a talking dog.” The queen said. “He’s probably fish food by now.”
“I bet he does.”
“Yeah? How much?”
“Um…”
“Ah… gotcha.” Xena chuckled. “If you really believed it, you’d bet even without money.”
“A hundred dinars.”
“You don’t have a hundred dinars, you little muskrat.”
“I will.”
“Oh HO!” The queen chortled. “We’ll see about that.”
**
It was mid morning before they moved out. The soldiers carried the majority of the gear, strapped over their shoulders in makeshift packs that included the meager things they managed to salvage and items they’d liberated from the huts.
Gabrielle had felt a little bad about that, but Xena merely gave her a look, and shook her head as they were leaving. “Don’t you think…”
“No.” The queen said, firmly. “Door was open. Anything they left behind, they never figured to see again.”
Well, okay. That makes sense. Gabrielle had to admit to herself, as she followed Xena outside. In the end, the queen refused to allow herself to be coaxed into being carried. Instead, she filched Gabrielle’s walking stick and used that to steady herself, keeping a slow, but determined pace in the middle of the path.
Two men up front were carrying a collapsed pallet, two poles and a set of furs tucked around them just in case. Gabrielle really hoped they didn’t need to use them, but she knew Xena wasn’t feeling that well to start with so it paid to be careful.
She walked next to the queen; glad the drying ground gave her a sturdier and sturdier road to walk on and didn’t suck at her boots.
Or Xena’s.
She was really looking forward for the journey to end, though. Gabrielle decided she’d take her adventures in small doses, from now on, and not wish for grand stories to come from them. This story would be grand, but she never wanted to repeat it if she could help it.
The path went along in a steady grade, after a while coming to travel along the banks of a swiftly running river. The sound of the water seemed comforting and friendly, and the slow pace of the walk allowed the men and women to relax a little and begin to talk amongst themselves.
Gabrielle reached out as they passed a low bush, and plucked a pretty, purple flower from it. She recognized the type as the same they had in the garden at the stronghold, and after twirling it in her fingers and sniffing it’s delicate scent, she turned and offered it up to Xena.
The queen gave her a look. “What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Well.” Her companion tilted her head to one side. “You ate the last one. Hungry?”
Xena took the flower with her free hand and studied it, then she threaded it behind one ear, and inclined her brows at Gabrielle. “How’s that?”
Gabrielle grinned. “It’s pretty.” She moved a little closer. “How far do we have to go?”
The queen edged carefully around a rut in the path. “At this rate? You’ll be a grandmother before we get there.” She sighed, leaning on the staff. “Twice.” An arm slipped around her for support, and she didn’t spurn it, the pain and lightheadedness making even this simple walk arduous.
“Does that mean we’re going to have kids after all??” Gabrielle asked, innocently. “Wow.”
Xena snorted softly, shaking her head in mild amusement.
“That’ll make a great story.”
“Are you trying to be funny?” The queen asked, watching her companion nod. “Cough up a funny story. I need something to keep my mind off…” Xena’s eyes flicked to the men and women around them. “things.” She finished.
“Okay.” Gabrielle said. “Do you think camels are funny? I know a story I heard once from a trader back in Potadeia.”
“Camels.” Xena exhaled. “Gotta be funnier than sheep. G’wan.”
Gabrielle started in with her story, her clear, young voice lifting over the soft chuckle of the river, bringing solace to a thin, slowly moving line whose ears turned to catch it.
**
“Ow.”
Hands gripped around the staff, Xena paused and looked around at the sound, finding Gabrielle limping or, hopping actually, behind her grabbing at one boot. “What?” She snapped, not wanting to lose concentration on her own struggle to stay upright.
“I think... a rock… ow.”
With a sigh, Xena released one hand from the staff and placed two fingers between her teeth, gathering some energy before she inhaled and let out a shrill whistle. The line stopped moving, heads turning to look at her in question. “Break.” She said, shortly.
With a relieved murmur, the line fractured, people scattering to find spots to rest just off the path. The ground was dry now, and many pulled out a bit of dried meat to chew on and some water as they rested.
Xena found her own felled log under the over-reaching branches and she eased herself down on it, letting the staff fall to the ground next to her as she rested her elbows on her knees. The pain in her head was growing again, and she felt dizzy and sick. Intelligence was urging her to stop and rest, but pride had intelligence in a headlock and she found herself moving forward on mostly stubbornness.
Gabrielle sat down next to her and began unlacing her boot, taking her time to untangle the hide strips before she slid the leather covering off and shook it out with industrious vigor.
Xena merely sat watching her.
After a minute of effort, Gabrielle laid the boot across her knee and dusted her foot off. Then she pulled the boot back on and started lacing it again.
“So, where’s the rock?” Xena drawled.
“It fell out.”
“No, it didn’t.”
Gabrielle pointed. “Sure it did – there it is!”
“That was there.”
“No it wasn’t. At least, I don’t think it was, was it?”
“Know what I think?” The queen rested her chin on her fist. “I think you invented that rock to force me to stop walking.”
Gabrielle finished tying her laces and set her foot down, resting her elbows on her knees in mimicry of the queen’s posture and looking at her. “Well.” She nibbled her lip. “It… um… worked.”
“Mm.” The queen let her eyes close briefly.
Gabrielle hesitated, seeing the drawn look on the taller woman’s face. “Could we stay here for a while?”
Blue orbs appeared. “Why?”
“Well… um…” A breath. “I’m really tired. I’d like to rest for a while.”
Xena gazed at her. “Cheeky wench, aren’t you?” She managed a faint smile. “We have to keep going, Gabrielle. I have to keep going. We can’t risk being caught out in the open, and we’ve got a way to go until shelter.”
“Then let them carry you.” The girl said, softly. “They don’t mind.”
“I mind.” The queen straightened up. “I won’t do it.”
“You let them carry you in the mountain.”
Xena looked off, a scowl crossing her face. “That was different.” She turned again to look directly at Gabrielle. “I was dying.” Her voice roughened. “Wouldn’t have mattered after that.”
The girl’s breath caught. “But…”
“No.” Xena repeated, firmly.
Gabrielle took her hand and clasped it, rubbing her fingers over the chilled flesh. “Okay.”
“This was not a debate.” The queen replied, shortly. “And no more fake rocks.” She watched the girl reach down and pick up the pebble, bringing it closer for her to see. It was hard, and brittle looking, and had a thin vein of red running through it.
From the cave. Xena looked at the girl in disbelief.
“It really was in there.” Gabrielle admitted, in a mild tone. “And it really hurt. Thanks for letting me stop to take it out.” She carefully put the rock into her belt pouch, a fold of leather; really, she’d scrabbled from one of the chests in the castle.
“Mmph.” The queen grunted.
Brendan came over and knelt, dusting his hands off. “Mistress, there’s rough ground ahead.” He addressed her with straightforward directness. “We’ve been at the road a long day, it’s running to sundown soon. I think the civs have about had it. I’d fear to take em over the next bit.”
Xena was caught off guard. She looked at the group of resting servants, reading a measure of exhaustion in their faces, then she tipped her head back and regarded the position of the sun.
It wasn’t nearly close to sundown, and Brendan knew it. Xena let an eyebrow lift in his direction, but her captain merely looked back at her, with a benign expression. “There’s no shelter.” She replied. “We can’t stop here.”
“Aye.” Brendan agreed. “We’d have t’build er. Men are willing. We could throw up a hut-to short order.”
Xena looked at Gabrielle, who was sitting there, her arms clasped around her knees, looking utterly innocent. The girl blinked at her, not even the hint of a grin crossing her face. She strongly sensed she was being taken for a long horse ride at night blindfolded, but looking into the eyes of these two, it was hard to dredge up a belief that the hijacking was motivated by anything other than…
Gabrielle leaned closer and pressed her cheek against Xena’s shoulder, giving her a gently adoring look.
Bulls’ balls. “Fine.” Xena would have thrown up both hands if she had been able to find the energy. “Do it.”
Brendan nodded briskly. “Right you are, Mistress. We’ll be at it.” He stood up and ambled off, raising his voice to shout orders to the men in the front lines.
Xena tilted her head and met Gabrielle’s eyes. “You planned that.”
The girl shook her head solemnly.
The queen sighed. She wanted to be mad at both of them, but couldn’t find it in her heart to even start to be. Instead, relief coursed over her that she could continue to sit on her log, looking forward to the prospect of lying down in some corner of whatever rude shelter the men erected.
“But I would have, if I’d thought about it.” Gabrielle admitted. “We did make progress, right?”
Xena looked back the way they came, and judged distances. The ground slanted downward, and she realized they had been traveling subtly uphill for a while. No wonder the walk had gotten tougher. But the upward slope meant they were nearing the plateau that would eventually take them home, and in fact they had made better progress than she’d imagined. “Yeah.” She grunted, considering their next day’s path.
Well, she’d made it through this day; she’d make it through the next. In the meantime… The queen leaned a little back against Gabrielle’s warmth, content to simply sit in companionable silence with her bedmate.
Lover.
Scheming little muskrat.
Xena’s eyes unfocused a little, and a slight smile moved her lips. “Hey.” She nudged Gabrielle. “Thanks for sticking by me.”
Gabrielle let her boots slide out through the leaf litter, examining the tips of them, stained from travel as her legs extended in front of her. After a moment, she looked up at Xena, with a slight shrug. “That’s what friends do.” She replied. “They stand by each other.”
“Do they?” The queen asked.
“Sure.”
“Eh.” Xena extended her own legs, her boots ending up quite a bit further than her companions’ “Learn something new every day.”
Gabrielle took her hand again and squeezed it, as though putting an exclamation point on the concept. And at the rate I’m learning, I should be a genius by the time we get back. The queen thought, wryly.
An absolute genius.
**
The fire crackled softly, responding to the wind whistling through the rough shelter they were all huddled under. There was no room for privacy, no space for embarrassment. Everyone huddled next to each other in a circle around the fire and put their backs to the wind as best they could.
Xena sat with her back against one of the tree trunks that made up part of the wall; her long legs sprawled out in front of her. Gabrielle sat between them; with her boots tucked under her, as they listened to one of the soldiers sing a low, melodic song as the stars began to come out.
The man had talent. He kept his eyes on the ground, as he twisted a bit of twig between his fingers, by his very posture almost dissolving in shy mortification at performing before his queen.
On either side of Xena, Brendan and one of his senior captains were seated, providing a thin, human line of protection separating her from the rest of the crowd. But the quarters were so close, had the balance of the inhabitants wanted to attack, they would barely have had to lean forward.
Xena didn’t appear worried. She listened with her eyes half closed, her arms clasped lightly around Gabrielle’s waist. All the odds and ends had been tossed into the one pot they’d saved, and a stew was cooking, along with slabs of traveling bread currently rough baking on hot stones by the fire.
“Your Majesty?”
Xena looked up as the song ended, meeting the young singer’s eyes. “Hm?”
“Does the song please you?”
“Are you alive?” The queen inquired, in a soft drawl.
The man nodded, uncertainly.
“Good sign.” Xena concluded, with a half grin. “Did you like it, muskrat?”
Gabrielle shifted a bit, and then rested her hands on the queen’s calves. “I liked it a lot. It’s very pretty... I think I used to hear one something like that by the men who drove the herds through Potadeia.” She said. “It’s such a sad song, though.”
“Aye.” The singer ducked his head in acknowledgement. “Tis a drover’s song, m’lady. He is sad because he has to leave his family so he can provide for them.”
“Did you have to do that?” The girl asked. “Leave your family?”
The soldier looked around, then back at her. “Family’s here, m’lady. Has been for a good while.”
Xena seemed pleased at the sentiment. She idly rubbed her thumb over Gabrielle’s belly and wiggled a boot, content to rest despite the discomfort of the shelter.
“I understand.” Gabrielle said. “My family’s here too, now.”
The queen’s eyes opened wider, and she glanced down as Gabrielle turned and looked up at her. From her peripheral vision she could see the curious expressions of the crowd, all watching them and waiting to see what she’d say.
What she’d say.
Well. Xena frowned inwardly. What was she going to say? She absorbed the gentle affection in Gabrielle’s face, and was glad her armor kept her from melting as she sat. “That’s right.” She heard herself answer, and then she returned the looks of the crowd. “She’s blood of my blood now.”
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