The _what_ is Mightier than the Sword? – 2 of 4
There was no nearby cock crowing to wake Gabrielle that morning. That was one advantage to trail life as opposed to village life. But the stamping and snorting of Argos at roughly the same time had much the same effect. As part of her usual routine, she lay fully awake, but with her eyes closed and took three deep breaths. With this she tried to breathe in all the scents of the morning to remind her of all the wonderful things in life and to thank the gods for another day of fun and adventure.
Having completed her morning ritual, she sprung up and stretched. Xena sat across from her in the camp. Fully dressed. Staring at her. "Oh? Did I sleep in? Or forget to wake you again?" Xena just shook her head and kept staring, chewing on some dried fruit.
Gabrielle got up carefully. She normally never felt body shy in front of Xena. No more than in front of her sister growing up. "I'm just going to go wash up. Ok?" Xena just nodded. 'This is odd. It is like she is possessed by some other spirit.' thought Gabrielle.
She gathered her things up and headed off to a nearby stream. When she was almost finished and was wiping the water from her eyes she started. There was Xena leaning against a tree and watching her. Very intently. "Oh? Your turn, eh?" She giggled a bit worriedly.
Gabrielle threw her clothes on and slowly made her way back to camp, toweling up the last of the water as her damp clothes clung to her. Just as she got back the last branch broke and snapped at her face. But at the last minute it was caught by Xena, who was just behind her.
"Xena!" shouted Gabrielle, jumping halfway across the clearing. "You startled me." She looked her up and down. Xena had that fixed, speculative sort of stare she occasionally got when she was sizing up a battle situation. "You are behaving very oddly. Following me around like that." She picked up her blanket to shake it out. Between her and Xena. "It's like I can feel your eyes boring a hole right up my back passage!"
Xena started at that, shook her head, and looked a bit guilty. "Ah, yeah." She poked at the ground with her foot. "I'm just going to go take a cold bath." 'Maybe that will clear my mind' thought Xena, not totally convinced.
Gabrielle just shook her head and folded up the blankets.
________________________________________
The sun beamed down along the track that Xena and Gabrielle progressed down. Gabrielle walked in front and Xena rode behind on Argos, trying to look at anything except Gabrielle, and failing miserably. Gabrielle was aware of this but tried to ignore it, hoping that Xena would just get over whatever was getting to her.
From ahead the sounds of a cart were heard. Before too long a merchant caravan came into view. There was just one cart with a driver and a couple of horses. Xena and Gabrielle stepped from the road to make room.
The driver took one look at the Warrior Princess and Bard and reigned his horses in. "Greetings, greetings fair warrior ladies! I thank you for giving my cart a merchant's right of way. Is there any favor I can do for you in return?" He grinned almost predatorily.
"What road have you come down? We're looking for someone,” said Xena.
"Ah, my lady, I come most lately from Corinth, that city of many pleasures" he winked suggestively. "I bear special Corinthian leather trade goods to Athens, in hopes that there is a good market for them. It is such a stuck-up city that it could use some loosening!" He laughed for a while at his own joke. Gabrielle looked disgusted. The perversions of Corinth were well known. If ever there was a city on the Peloponnese known for its depravity it was Corinth. She shuddered at the thought of the exact nature of the 'things' that the cart was probably laden with. "The only people I have passed on the road this morning was a group of fairly rough looking men. All in leather and studs" he said with a grin. "They seemed of a mind to threaten me but offered me no trouble when I explained where I was from."
"Did they have a k** with them?" asked Xena.
"Why, I believe they did. About so high" he said leaning from the cart, "wearing a short red tunic. A very pretty boy."
"That's him,” said Gabrielle. "Let's go, they're ahead of us." She took off down the trail.
"Good luck!" shouted the merchant to them as Xena trotted off after Gabrielle.
"Ugh" exclaimed Gabrielle as she shook herself. "What a creepy man. But what can you expect from a city known for the most famous prostitute in the world." Xena just muttered, her mind elsewhere. "I hope we don't have to chase them all the way to Corinth. I hate that place. 'A bawdy song! Play another bawdy song!' That's all they can say. Never an epic, never a hymn, not even a love story." She shook her head again and glanced over her shoulder. First at the departing cart, then at Xena who wasn't looking quite at the elevation of her eyes.
"That cart was probably laden down with 'things'." She twitched involuntarily. "They make the most disgusting stuff there. I was in a bar once and met another bard. She was very drunk but, since she was a fellow professional, I took her safely back to her room. When I was there, though, she took out these 'things' and tried to use them on me. Can you believe it!" A color had risen in her cheeks that she looked uncomfortable with. Silence fell between them.
"Um" said Xena. "I think Argos needs some exercise. Why don't you find a spot for lunch, and I'll catch up with you." She wheeled the horse around and headed back up the road.
________________________________________
Later Xena walked up to where Gabrielle had set out lunch. It was a small sunny meadow with trees around the edge and a little brook. Xena led Argos and was carrying distractedly a small brown sack. "Oh, there you are,” said Gabrielle. Xena looked startled and immediately tried to hide the sack. "And what do you have there?" asked Gabrielle. "Is that why you've been acting funny? Do you have a present for me?"
Xena backed away nervously. "Uh, yeah. But I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." She retreated behind Argos and started looking for somewhere to hide it in the saddle bags.
"Oh, come on", said Gabrielle. "You know I can't resist a present." Xena looked panicked as Gabrielle tried to get around Argos. She didn't really know why she had bought what she had bought and really didn't know what she would say to Gabrielle if she found out. "Show me! Show me!" she said trying to get around the tail.
Not knowing where else to put it Xena used her lightning speed to quickly strap on the "present" under her battle skirt and grabbed a ladle form the pack and stuck it into the bag. "All right, give it to me" said Gabrielle having finally got around Argos and upon Xena. Xena sighed and held out the bag.
Gabrielle opened the bag with excitement and pulled out the ladle. She held it up like a dead rat. "I, uh, thought you could use a new one" said Xena, weakly.
"Fine" said Gabrielle testily. "I'll just go wash the dishes." She stalked off to the brook.
Having completed her morning ritual, she sprung up and stretched. Xena sat across from her in the camp. Fully dressed. Staring at her. "Oh? Did I sleep in? Or forget to wake you again?" Xena just shook her head and kept staring, chewing on some dried fruit.
Gabrielle got up carefully. She normally never felt body shy in front of Xena. No more than in front of her sister growing up. "I'm just going to go wash up. Ok?" Xena just nodded. 'This is odd. It is like she is possessed by some other spirit.' thought Gabrielle.
She gathered her things up and headed off to a nearby stream. When she was almost finished and was wiping the water from her eyes she started. There was Xena leaning against a tree and watching her. Very intently. "Oh? Your turn, eh?" She giggled a bit worriedly.
Gabrielle threw her clothes on and slowly made her way back to camp, toweling up the last of the water as her damp clothes clung to her. Just as she got back the last branch broke and snapped at her face. But at the last minute it was caught by Xena, who was just behind her.
"Xena!" shouted Gabrielle, jumping halfway across the clearing. "You startled me." She looked her up and down. Xena had that fixed, speculative sort of stare she occasionally got when she was sizing up a battle situation. "You are behaving very oddly. Following me around like that." She picked up her blanket to shake it out. Between her and Xena. "It's like I can feel your eyes boring a hole right up my back passage!"
Xena started at that, shook her head, and looked a bit guilty. "Ah, yeah." She poked at the ground with her foot. "I'm just going to go take a cold bath." 'Maybe that will clear my mind' thought Xena, not totally convinced.
Gabrielle just shook her head and folded up the blankets.
________________________________________
The sun beamed down along the track that Xena and Gabrielle progressed down. Gabrielle walked in front and Xena rode behind on Argos, trying to look at anything except Gabrielle, and failing miserably. Gabrielle was aware of this but tried to ignore it, hoping that Xena would just get over whatever was getting to her.
From ahead the sounds of a cart were heard. Before too long a merchant caravan came into view. There was just one cart with a driver and a couple of horses. Xena and Gabrielle stepped from the road to make room.
The driver took one look at the Warrior Princess and Bard and reigned his horses in. "Greetings, greetings fair warrior ladies! I thank you for giving my cart a merchant's right of way. Is there any favor I can do for you in return?" He grinned almost predatorily.
"What road have you come down? We're looking for someone,” said Xena.
"Ah, my lady, I come most lately from Corinth, that city of many pleasures" he winked suggestively. "I bear special Corinthian leather trade goods to Athens, in hopes that there is a good market for them. It is such a stuck-up city that it could use some loosening!" He laughed for a while at his own joke. Gabrielle looked disgusted. The perversions of Corinth were well known. If ever there was a city on the Peloponnese known for its depravity it was Corinth. She shuddered at the thought of the exact nature of the 'things' that the cart was probably laden with. "The only people I have passed on the road this morning was a group of fairly rough looking men. All in leather and studs" he said with a grin. "They seemed of a mind to threaten me but offered me no trouble when I explained where I was from."
"Did they have a k** with them?" asked Xena.
"Why, I believe they did. About so high" he said leaning from the cart, "wearing a short red tunic. A very pretty boy."
"That's him,” said Gabrielle. "Let's go, they're ahead of us." She took off down the trail.
"Good luck!" shouted the merchant to them as Xena trotted off after Gabrielle.
"Ugh" exclaimed Gabrielle as she shook herself. "What a creepy man. But what can you expect from a city known for the most famous prostitute in the world." Xena just muttered, her mind elsewhere. "I hope we don't have to chase them all the way to Corinth. I hate that place. 'A bawdy song! Play another bawdy song!' That's all they can say. Never an epic, never a hymn, not even a love story." She shook her head again and glanced over her shoulder. First at the departing cart, then at Xena who wasn't looking quite at the elevation of her eyes.
"That cart was probably laden down with 'things'." She twitched involuntarily. "They make the most disgusting stuff there. I was in a bar once and met another bard. She was very drunk but, since she was a fellow professional, I took her safely back to her room. When I was there, though, she took out these 'things' and tried to use them on me. Can you believe it!" A color had risen in her cheeks that she looked uncomfortable with. Silence fell between them.
"Um" said Xena. "I think Argos needs some exercise. Why don't you find a spot for lunch, and I'll catch up with you." She wheeled the horse around and headed back up the road.
________________________________________
Later Xena walked up to where Gabrielle had set out lunch. It was a small sunny meadow with trees around the edge and a little brook. Xena led Argos and was carrying distractedly a small brown sack. "Oh, there you are,” said Gabrielle. Xena looked startled and immediately tried to hide the sack. "And what do you have there?" asked Gabrielle. "Is that why you've been acting funny? Do you have a present for me?"
Xena backed away nervously. "Uh, yeah. But I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." She retreated behind Argos and started looking for somewhere to hide it in the saddle bags.
"Oh, come on", said Gabrielle. "You know I can't resist a present." Xena looked panicked as Gabrielle tried to get around Argos. She didn't really know why she had bought what she had bought and really didn't know what she would say to Gabrielle if she found out. "Show me! Show me!" she said trying to get around the tail.
Not knowing where else to put it Xena used her lightning speed to quickly strap on the "present" under her battle skirt and grabbed a ladle form the pack and stuck it into the bag. "All right, give it to me" said Gabrielle having finally got around Argos and upon Xena. Xena sighed and held out the bag.
Gabrielle opened the bag with excitement and pulled out the ladle. She held it up like a dead rat. "I, uh, thought you could use a new one" said Xena, weakly.
"Fine" said Gabrielle testily. "I'll just go wash the dishes." She stalked off to the brook.
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