"If you two are done horsing around, I could use some help serving the food." Xena's mother said with a good-natured grin.

The two women rose and carried the food out into the common room.  They served the food quietly.

'I hope none my of my enemies see me now.' the warrior thought to herself.

When they were finished, Xena and the bard went around to the back of the building and sat on a bench beneath a giant tree.  They linked hands and stared into one another's eyes silently for a few moments.  The warrior leaned in and captured Gabrielle's lips with her own.  The two had only been bondmates  for a few months, but every day felt like the first day they had  revealed their love for each other.  They broke the kiss and the blonde embraced the muscular warrior tightly. 

"I love you." she whispered.

"I love you too." Xena replied.

They sat with hands linked, enjoying the cool breeze and the songs of the birds.  Xena cherished moments like these.  Moments when she could let her guard down and just relax.  She glanced over at Gabrielle, who was sitting back with her eyes closed and a smile on her lips.  The wind gently blew her hair so that it looked like waves of gold.  The warrior found herself unable to take her eyes off of the bard.  She sighed in contentment and gave the delicate hand in hers a gentle squeeze.

She heard the girl give a soft sigh and squeeze her hand back.  They stayed like that for a long time.  Finally, the warrior shook herself out of her trance.

"C'mon, Mom will want help cleaning up." she said, gently shaking the young woman beside her.

Gabrielle moaned, opened her eyes and sat up.  She looked at her lover with total devotion showing on her face.  She was captivated by the warrior's graceful movements as the dark woman rose.  As she stared at her lover, her mouth began to water.  She loved the way Xena's backside swayed when she walked.  It seemed to scream out to be touched, caressed.  Gabrielle wiped the drool from her chin with the back of her hand.  She stood and followed the warrior.

They went in and helped Cyrene clear and wash the dishes.  When they were through, Gabrielle entertained the patrons with a few of her stories.  In the middle of her third tale, a man entered and the room grew quiet as all eyes fell on him.  Xena tensed ever so slightly.  The man walked up to Cyrene.

"Time to pay up, woman." he said in a gruff voice. 

Xena's mother gave him a defiant look.

"No.  I'm through paying you goons.  Now, get out of here and don't come back!"

"You don't seem to understand our arrangement.  You pay us, we protect you.  You don't and we can't be responsible for what happens." he said, drawing a dagger.

Suddenly, he found himself flying back through the air and slamming into a wall.  Xena stood over the man with a deadly look in her eyes.  She grabbed him by the neck and hauled him to his feet.  She pulled him so close that their noses were almost touching.

"Get out of here and don't come back.  I ever see you again, I'll kill you." the warrior said in a venomous voice.

The rouge backed up, rubbing his neck with one hand and pointing at Cyrene with the other.

"You haven't seen the last of us, wench!  We'll be back!"

The warrior took a step forward and the man ran out of the tavern like a scalded dog.  Xena walked over to where her mother stood.

"What was that all about?" she asked in a tightly controlled voice.

"He's one of Dragonis' men.  They squeeze all of the merchants and innkeepers in the village.  The merchants pay him and he sees that the other warlords keep clear.  But, if we don't pay him, he wrecks the shops and kills whoever resists him." Cyrene replied.

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"I didn't want to disturb your holiday.  You need the rest."

"I'll rest when I put a stop to Dragonis' extortion." the warrior said in a serious voice.

Gabrielle knew that it would be days before the warrior even began to cool down.  So much for their peaceful vacation. 

"Do you know where Dragonis is?" Xena asked.

"No." replied Cyrene.

"I'll find him, and when I do, he'll wish he never saw Amphipolis."

She stormed from the tavern.  The bard started after her, but Cyrene grabbed her by the arm.

"Let her go.  She needs time alone."

Gabrielle reluctantly sat down.  She was just as angry as Xena.  Cyrene was like a mother to her.  She would do anything to protect her.  But, with a threat made to her mother, the bard was afraid that Xena's dark side would emerge again.  This time there may be no fighting it.  She gave Cyrene a pat on the hand, stood, and went to their room.  She grabbed her staff and went to the back of the building where she and Xena had rested earlier.  She began drilling with the staff.  When Xena returned a few hours later, she found Gabrielle brutalizing the nearby trees.  As she approached, the blonde whipped around with her staff at the ready.  When she recognized the warrior, she relaxed and stood leaning on the staff.  Her face was red and a look of pure anger clouded her features.  Xena had seen Gabrielle angry before, but nothing like this.  One look at the bard's determined face made the warrior involuntarily take a step backward.

"Come on.  Let's get something to eat.  I'm starved." the warrior said in an effort to calm the short woman down.

As they entered the tavern, the few patrons made sure to give the two women a wide berth.  They both radiated anger.  They sat down and Cyrene brought them some food and ale.  They ate in silence.  Gabrielle was unusally quiet.

'Uh, oh.  I pity the poor fool who ends up on the business end of her staff right now.' the warrior thought to herself.

When they were done with their meal, they went up to their room.  Xena closed the door and turned just in time to see Gabrielle throw her staff across the room.  The warrior walked over to her and placed her hands on the bard's shoulders, looking into the emerald green of her eyes.

"Calm down, love." she said quietly.

The blonde pulled away and glared at the warrior.

"Calm down!  Calm down!  That man threatened your mother!  You're telling me to calm down!  We have to find Dragonis and make him leave these people alone!" she shouted.

"We will, I promise."

"How?!  We don't even know where the bastard is!"

Xena was taken aback.  Gabrielle wasn't one to use foul language.  The warrior quickly recovered and replied,

"I know where he is.  Get some sleep.  Come dawn, Dragonis is going to get a wakeup call he won't forget." Xena said sitting on the bed and removing her boots.

"Sleep?!  I'll lay down, but I know I won't sleep." the bard said, throwing herself on the bed.

Xena stood and began to remove her leathers.  Before she had the laces undone and the straps off her shoulders, she heard Gabrielle's quiet snores.  She grinned and slipped beneath the covers.  She closed her eyes and calling upon one of her many skills, willed herself to sleep.

A few hours before dawn, Xena woke.  She slipped out of bed and quietly dressed.  She shook Gabrielle.

"Gabrielle.  Time to get up."

The bard moaned and rolled over.  She opened one eye.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Almost dawn." the warrior replied.

Gabrielle moaned and sat up.  She began to dress.

"I'll get Argo ready." Xena said as she left the room.

The blonde fumbled into her clothes, grabbed her staff and staggered down the stairs.  She went to the stables to find Xena leading Argo out.  The warrior mounted and pulled Gabrielle up behind her.  They quietly left the village.  As they travelled, the gentle gait of the horse lulled Gabrielle back to sleep.  Soon, she was being shaken.  She opened her eyes and was greeted with Xena's clear blue eyes.

"We're here." was all the warrior said.

She slid to the ground and crept after Xena as they approached the camp.  There were only two guards on watch.  These, they dispatched with no trouble.  They snuck under the back of Dragonis' tent.  The warlord awoke to the sensation of cold steel pressed to his throat.  He opened his mouth to call his guards.

"Make a sound and I kill you." Xena whispered venomously.

His mouth closed with an audible snap.  He stared at the warrior.

"What do you want?" he whispered hoarsely.

"I want you to leave Amphipolis and not come back."

"And if I refuse?"

"My blade finds a new home in your guts."

"Alright.  You are very persuasive." he said slowly climbing out of bed.

"Just let me get dressed, then we will break camp and be on our way."

"You'd better be."

Xena lowered the sword and turned to leave the tent.  The warlord drew a sword from beside his bed and swung at the retreating warrior.

"Xena! Look out!"

Gabrielle swung her staff and blocked the sword an inch from Xena's neck.  The warrior spun around and buried her sword in Dragonis' stomach in one fluid motion.  She withdrew her sword with a loud slurp.  Five guards rushed into the tent.  Seeing their leader dead, they charged.  The warrior and bard parried blows and slowly gave some ground.  Finally, they were able to defeat the attackers.  The two women stepped out of the tent into the middle of the camp.

"Listen up!  You will leave Amphipolis immediately and never return, or my army will cut you down!  The choice is yours!" the warrior said.

One of the thugs began to approach Xena, but was held back by one of his friends.

"That's Xena, Conquerer of Nations!  Don't do something stupid!" he whispered to his friend.

They soldiers made a hasty retreat.  Xena and Gabrielle made their way back to Argo.

"What army?  I didn't see anyone else with us."

"There is no army.  I was bluffing.  For once, I'm glad of my reputation.  Otherwise, my bluff wouldn't have worked."

She swung into the saddle, pulling the bard with her.  They returned to the tavern.  As they entered, they saw Cyrene waiting for them.

"Where have you been, Xena?" she asked.

"Taking care of some business.  Dragonis won't bother the village anymore."

"What did you do?"

"I'll tell you about later.  Gabrielle and I are going to bed.  We're beat."

They made their way to their room, where they stripped and slid under the covers.  They lay there unable to get to sleep.

"I know what will put us to sleep." said Gabrielle.

"What?"

"This."

The bard leaned over and kissed Xena passionately, at the same time, massaging the firm breasts of her lover.  The warrior moaned into the bard's mouth.  They made wild, passionate love.  As Apollo began his daily trek across the sky, he saw the two lovers asleep in one another's arms.  They each had a smile on their face.

 THE END

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