Xena slid the coins across the smooth well worn wooden top to the Bartender with a sigh and a heavy lack of urgency.

Picking up her ale with a nod of thanks, she made her way towards a quite corner. The Inn was dark, even in the mid-afternoon, but not unwelcomingly so, in the summer heat it managed a more hospitable temperature from the dusty road.

An instrumental Band played innocuously, and Xena looked up pulling the froth off her upper lip as they drew a pause in their performance. A young blond girl made her way to the slightly raised platform, smoothing her simple garments in a lightly nervous gesture. However once she seated herself front and centre to her band, her confidence and certainly seem to lift up from within her. It mimicked the soaring timbre of her voice, growing and gathering as the soft but strong voice began to vibrate the still air. Xena held her eyes upon her, but her vision misted in recollection. Her ears remained attentive and attuned to the melodious soothing music, but her thoughts swam unchecked. 

A sadness spread, like a ripples within her. A sense of loss and frustration she could not name held her like stone. She tried to identify the immediate source of this melancholy with half a heart, it felt like something old though, like a bundle you have carried miles suddenly callusing your hands, the weight familiar and acceptable for so long, she could not, maybe, would not name the change.

Earlier in the day, she had parted with Gabrielle at the Market. She was expected for an Amazon Council meeting some Towns away, and it seemed preferable to Xena to make the decision to go separate ways for the weekend now, rather than voyage with her, only to be banished by the “members only” rules later. She had never conceitedly concealed her distaste for such procedure at those junctures. But, this was common enough, there was nothing specifically different that she should feel this disturbance, these blues, normally she could cultivate her tranquillity, shape her quietude, this was essential in her trade, hotheadedness could have you killed soon enough by any fool. 

Refocusing to her surroundings, she frowned at the sweet tenderness created by the acoustic guitar and the soulful note of the vocals, their unity was sending tingling sensations through her that she found, uncomfortable. They seemed to tremble a veil she was trying to keep in place.

A single soft beam of sunlight angled down from a high window, sliding its way inside with the passage of the afternoon. It alighted upon the singers head, and Xena watched unwittingly holding her breath as the light rendered such a subtle honeyed hue over her bend heat, the colour almost touching a shade of azure, she wondered if the ethereal halo were visible at all. A trick of the light no doubt, but yet, so real to see.

Troubled by the emotions twisting inside her, she made her way onto the small balcony at the back of the bar space. Here she was alone as she scanned the horizon. It had been a clear and sunny day, and the sun was only just beginning to lower slowly, the sunset would be late and spectacular. She could smell the lifting air, the quiet floral notes whispering from the vast forest that lay around this small Town. Draining her drink she placed the tankard silently on the stone ledge. In truth she knew what dominated her thoughts and gathered such conscious potency, but the taste of what ignited her thus, she was dutifully, painfully repressing.

The music behind her wrapped about her, progressively stripping away her resolve to push matters from her mind. So, she instantly made a decision upon a course of action. Striding purposefully from the Inn, she was blind to the admiring and curious glances she elicited. 

Soothing the withers and ignoring the questioning looks from Argo, she gently tacked her up, attaching on all her equipment and roll mat in place, she made sure the wine and her light dinner sat up front, safe and secure. Mounting smoothly, she smiled as Argo took off immediately, knowingly. Somehow, they both felt more at ease in the wilds, Town contracting their sense of freedom. Their relationship had always been much less master and steed, as navigator and companion, the rolls oscillating between them as situations unfolded.

Stopping at a clearing, some way up the edge of a mountain pass, Xena assessed the appropriate qualities of the geography, the running steam and the Westerly facing aspect... she nodded her approval.

After unloading Argo, and rugging her up in a light sheet for the night ( for she was sensitive to drops in temperature, partially at altitude ),  she set up a simple camp. The fire began to catch and crackle as she gently blew on the kindling.

It was now early evening, and the view was truly spectacular. The light clouds that sat high in the sky were set alight by the setting sun, they were a perfect warm pink as the orange, reds, yellows and purples bled across the heavens. Xena raised her flask of wine in a silent toast. Who do you address in moments of such beautiful surrender ?

She stayed standing, watching the fading colours, Argo occasionally blowing warm air onto the back of her hand in a less than inconspicuous reminder that her dinner had not been administered yet. Xena let her fingers trace the velvet shape of her sensitive nose in apology.

Xena lowered her head in reverence as the recollections she had been trying to intellectually rationalise away, played moment perfect in her mind.

How could a kiss have such impact ?

Not just to the degrees of physical revelation that ignited her so completely, but the emotional response that surged forth with such a flood of force, it felt like an awakening; such sudden comprehension, a circles circumference completed.

Before she surrendered her mind completely to exploration, she stepped back and went to unroll her bed-mat by the now healthy fire. Feeding Argo, filling her skin with fresh water, removing her sword and armour, setting out her meal, she ran out of tasks to hide behind.

Sitting cross legged on her blanket, she held out her palms to the fire. Looking at the sky, to watch for the first star to punctuate the end of evening to night. She pulled the blanket about her and cast her mind back some nights ago.

They had been riding almost for two days consecutively. Only stopping at night for sleep and sustenance. Upon reaching their destination they camped later than planned. The fire did not have time to catch properly, the wood in the surrounding forest was still damp from the recent rains. So Xena had dug deep for a bottle of Brandy she had been saving, it was old, and it should be sweet. It was not a particularly special occasion, but the warmth was so dearly sought now, it had to be opened. Gabrielle has put their bedrolls tight together, so they could double up the blankets. They huddled under the bedding and bent themselves towards the whispering fire. They shared the Brandy as they allowed the crackling sounds of the combustion to soothe them. She felt Gabrielle shivering subtly and it was not abating, Xena watched as she flexed her hand warm to start writing on a new scroll.

“Come here ... come on”

Xena said quietly, and pulled Gabrielle to sit between her legs. Pulling up the blankets around them, placing her arms around her waist she felt Gabrielle stiffen slightly, but as she put her head on her shoulder to read her writings, she felt her laugh and relax. It was a standing joke between them that Xena never read her writings. Xena’s argument being that it was not necessary for her to recap her days in the evenings, her memory was not failing her to such a degree yet, that such a situation was necessary.  Xena never knew if Gabrielle realised she often sough the recap in privet, (not for a failing of faculties but the pleasure of her phraseology and her earnest gift for the written word),  she was never going to admit to it.

Xena sighed in comfort as they began to warm up, she loved to watch Gabrielle write, the light frown and concentration she committed to the task was mesmerising. And it was rare to be, this close, to have her in her arms as did so, it felt like double decadence with the sweet flamboyance of Brandy upon her tongue.

Xena had a love hate relationship with physical proximity to Gabrielle. She hated how much she loved it.

There was of course, tenderness in there day to day exchanges, but as the minutes slipped by the curtain for her cerebral restraint dissipated as her eyelids felt heavy with surrender. Gabrielle was beautiful, intelligent and well, the unequivocal love of her life.  To feel her warmth against her was so wonderful, but it reminded her of what she forgo in, honouring their friendship, their companionship, which she would never, ever risk to threaten. No matter how difficult the task.

Xena was lost in her thoughts and the sweet sensations that effervesced within her relaxation so that barely noticed that Gabrielle had set aside her scroll. She felt time thicken as Gabrielle put her head back against her shoulder. Xena smiled and turned her head to nuzzle aside her hair without thinking, she held her breath as Gabrielle took her hands from around her waist and took them to hold within her own. Gabrielle traced her thumb over the backs of her palms and turned them over to do the same over the calluses under her fingers. Xena let out her breath against her neck slowly. The events seemed dream like, slow and effortlessly seductive, sweeping aside her restraint. Gabrielle lifted her hands and wrapped then about her ribs, Xena’s eyes opening slowly at the sudden heat of her abdomen, the warmth seducing her, and finally claiming her as her forearms rubbed against the base of her breasts, the clothing that separated skin from skin seemed to dissolve in her imagination.  The low hum that emanated from Gabrielle on this contact turned her head so that their lips met, it was impossible that this kiss could be denied, like magnets, the draw was irresistible. And why would you try to resist that, which just is incomparably destined, and right.

Their lips grazed at first, light as mist across your palm, but the light full contact that ensued, deliquesced the two protagonists into the sweetest, softest kiss.

Xena was all at once the Devil in Heaven. The emotional surge, of so many thoughts and feelings, welling within her, fighting away the passion that consumed. She was too afraid to hurt her, both with the physical thunder of her lust and the repercussions of such an exquisite moment realised. So she pulled her hand away from her breathtaking body and placed it gently upon Gabrielle’s face, her fingers lightly caressing down to her jaw-line.