DISCLAIMERS AND WARNINGS: This site and its author have no connection whatsoever with the actual show Xena: Warrior Princess. That show and all its characters are the property of its creators and the appropriate licensed agencies. This site is run for fun by a fan, and no profit is made from it. Gods willing, there is nothing here to sue me over.

This site is subtext friendly, and yes, some of the stories may contain graphic descriptions of sex between two women. Some of the stories may also contain graphic descriptions of sex between men and women. There may also be a certain degree of violence in some of the stories. They may contain all sorts of things. I won't know for sure until they have been written after all. In any event, if this type of content offends you, or if you are under the age of 18, or if this is illegal where you live, please go away.

SPECIFIC TO THIS STORY: The Characters Xena and Gabrielle belong to RenPics et al. I make no claim to their creation. Original characters and situations are mine and no fault of the PTB's. Certain events in the actual canon timeline, for example the Twilight of the Gods bit, Callisto the good, and other events in Season Five, did not happen in this timeline. Major Warning for Violence Later in the story, small degree of het content (not our girls of course). Not exactly my usual type of story... darker overtones... but still Uber, more or less.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS

CHAPTER SIX

The soft rustling of the leaves whispered a quiet counterpoint to the pulsing hum of insects. In the pre-dawn hours the Burnouts appeared almost serene, a beautiful peace. Two figures stood in shadow, not quite visible to the naked eye. A woman, and a winged child. Their quiet voices carried on the gentle breeze, unheard by mortal ears.

:Meddlers. Memory is mine. They should have left these two alone.: The woman's voice was cold, hardened by implacable anger.

:Can it be undone?: The child's voice had a piping lilt to it, the sweet lightness of a very young boy. It was a vivid contrast to the resonant bell-tones of the elder goddess.

:Only in part. She has lived another life. I will not take that from her:

:So be it. Will you do it then?:

:It is already begun. The little one begins to remember.:

:Even unknowing, the warrior draws her like no other.:

:Why is this so important? These two are not yours.: The woman looked down curiously, absently tousling his hair.

:After the trouble I caused, I feel I owe her.:

:It has been so long, I had forgotten.:

:Memory forgets... I like that.:

:So has she.:

:Even so, I still remember.: His tone was firm, brooking no argument.

Softly the sound of wings faded away, leaving only the sounds of the Burnouts behind it. The woman remained behind, poised as if listening. :More broken links. So be it. Heal then, and remember.: With a casual wave of her hand, she too was gone.

It came to her in a blinding flash, without warning. Kayl stopped in her tracks, immobilized by shock. The memory flashes hit her with machine gun speed. One after another, brief glimpses of a past long forgotten. Inescapable fragments of the happiness she had destroyed with the thoughtlessness of a child. Dropping to her knees, Kayl buried her face in her hands. Sobs wracked her slender frame, bringing with them a deluge of tears. Tears she had thought long since dry. Drowning in sorrow, anguish drove all thought of her mission from her mind.

The warrior felt a tremor go through her as Gwyn touched Gabrielle's heart. There was definitely immortal meddling afoot as the little blonde spoke words she had no way of knowing, words that shook the dark woman to her core.

Xena looked into the green eyes below her, spellbound by what she saw in those emerald depths. For a few brief moments she looked straight into the heart of the bard. There was no mistaking the glimmer of emotion she saw, she knew it too well. Gabrielle was definitely there, lurking somewhere behind Gwyn's eyes.

The warrior shied away from the notion immediately. It could not be. Gabrielle was long since gone, moved on to her just reward. The patron goddess of the Amazons had honored the bard above all others. Xena had watched Artemis carry the bard's lifeless body from the battlefield with her own eyes. It was impossible, and yet...

Driven by an impulse she could not resist, Xena lowered her lips to Gwyn's. There was a momentary hesitation, a last instant when she thought to pull away. Gwyn murmured huskily against her lips and reached for her. Pulling her down, tracing the outline of the older woman's lips with the tip of her tongue. Absolved somehow of the taking sole responsibility, Xena leaned hungrily into the kiss. Delving into the sweet taste of the other, drowning in the warmth, she let the fire claim her.

She knew the instant the balance shifted. Confusion dropped like a shutter, closing off her vision of the bard. Even so, her traitorous body responded to the woman pressed so firmly against her. She was achingly aware of every breath the younger woman took. She could feel the other's heartbeat hammering a tattoo against her ribs, answering the primal rhythm of her own.

There was an absolute rightness to it that defied logic. Somehow, there was a link between Gwyn and Gabrielle; between the past and the present. But how? Reluctantly, Xena let reason take over, driving her desire back into quiescence. They would have time enough to figure it out after the fight with the Ashers was over, she promised silently. They would make time.

Blue eyes still clouded with emotion, she rolled off Gwyn. The hand she reached down to help the other up was indignantly slapped away. A quick look at the glint she saw in those brilliant green eyes told her she was in for a major dressing down.

Gwyn knew a curious sense of duality; an otherness, almost as if she were two people. She held tightly to it, unwilling for the moment to let either one go. Meeting Xena's eyes, she was consumed by the fire that met her, binding her. There was no denying the hunger in that cerulean gaze. An answering need raged through her as the warrior leaned down to kiss her.

Panic rose as she felt the warrior hesitate, begin to pull away. Muttering under her breath, she reached up to draw the other woman back. In the instant that their lips met, something shifted in her soul, merging with that odd sense of being other than herself. For the first time in her life, Gwyn felt whole. Desire flooded through her, sweeping her up and drawing her through eternity. Aroused almost beyond bearing, she nearly cried out when Xena broke the kiss.

Without warning, the sense of completeness vanished, leaving Gwyn confused and wanting. Even without the odd memory flashes, what she felt for Xena was real and immediate. The visions that sparked the conflagration may have been foreign to her, but the desire that fueled it was not. She wanted this woman, this dark warrior, with an intensity she had never known.

The revelation shook her, waking a turmoil that threatened suffocation. What the hell had she gotten herself into this time? She couldn't be feeling this way, she wouldn't. Caring left you too vulnerable, too open to being hurt. This had to stop, now. There was no way she was going to play this game.

Before she could make a move to slow things down, Xena rolled to her feet in one fluid motion. Absurdly, Gwyn was irritated by the gesture, resentful of the fact that the other had called the halt. Slapping away the hand the warrior extended to her, she rose jerkily to her feet.

Taking a deep breath, she drew herself up and faced the warrior squarely. "What the hell did you think you were doing? You could have broken my neck Xena! Were you..." Gwyn trailed off in amazement as the warrior's mouth quirked into a reluctant smile.

"I was just making sure you were paying attention."

"Paying attention? Paying attention?!" Gwyn's voice rose with each syllable. "You half killed me to see if I was awake? Why I ought to..." Gwyn advanced on the larger woman, giving her a light shove to emphasize her aggravation. Much to her annoyance, Xena burst into outright laughter.

She stood casually, leaning her arms on the tip of her longbow. :This is supposed to be a punishment, not a reward. Why are they together? You said they wouldn't know each other.:

:She's your Amazon... why didn't you at least change her look?: He was somber in demeanor, a solemnity belied by the tone of his words.

:I sent her back as a baby, remember? How was I supposed to know? I don't know anything about babies.: She grimaced with distaste.

:You don't know a lot of things.:

:Watch it, Uncle. I can always send her back to you, you know. If you think she was uncooperative before...:

:Hey, not so fast with the threats. You can't do it anyway, remember? No parents this time, she's immortal. Besides, it wasn't my hunters that lost her.:

His dry tone was not lost on her, and the goddess' reply was equally scathing. :No, you just couldn't get her to cross into the Fields.:

:Is it my fault she wouldn't leave the Styx?:

There was a brief silence before the woman spoke again. :Whose idea was this anyway? Yours?:

:Mine? I thought it was yours.:

Realization hit them both at the same time. :Ares... that rotten... he's done it to us again...:

Gwyn's irritation grew to epic proportions as Xena continued to laugh. The unaccustomed levity grated on her already frazzled nerves. Cursing vehemently, she pushed past the warrior and surveyed the ground inside the walls looking for a place to make camp.

Unseemly hilarity aside, they needed to hole up somewhere before the raiding parties returned from the City. Being discovered now was something they should avoid at all costs. Despite her lingering displeasure with the warrior, she had little doubt they would stay together now. Too many questions remained unanswered, issues they would have to explore together.

Xena's laughter faded from her mind as her eyes lit on a promising spot. In the corner of the wall, there appeared to be a sizable area curtained off by the overhanging willows. Tucked away in there, they would be virtually invisible even from the path. A closer look revealed the warrior's gear dumped haphazardly on the edge of the little shelter. Despite her irritation, Gwyn chuckled at the sight. She might have known.

Shaking her head in rueful amusement, Gwyn lowered her bag carefully to the ground. She was certain the other woman would give no thought to the set up of the camp. It would be just like her to leave it all up to Gwyn. Taken aback at her certainty that this was the way it would be, she stole a surreptitious look over her shoulder. As expected, Xena was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging off an all too familiar flash of exasperation at the discovery, she set about looking through their gear for supplies.

Xena's laughter died away as she watched Gwyn head for the area that she had chosen to set up camp. Her unerring selection of the same site was sobering. Gabrielle had always known how to pick just the right spots. It was a skill the warrior had learned from the bard.

The thought brought her back to the impossibility of their current situation. She had to find out what was going on. Another glance told her that Gwyn was likely going to start setting up the camp. Stepping back out of sight, she contemplated her actions. Perhaps if she hurried, she could do a little investigating before the girl realized she was gone.

Slipping quietly away from the camp, Xena let her thoughts wander. There was little chance that the gods weren't involved. There was no way Gwyn would be here otherwise. It was time to start asking some questions. There was one god who would come if she called. Whether he'd give her a straight answer was another story, but as far as she could see, she had little choice. It was him or nothing. Swallowing her reluctance, Xena called her father.

Kayl had no idea how long she had knelt on the path, paralyzed by grief. She came back to herself slowly, fighting to swallow the tears. She was astounded by her lack of control; appalled by the strength of the pain. Pain she had caused. Bitterly, she told herself it was not her fault, she had been but a child. If anyone was to blame it was the men. They had been the ones that brought her into the Burnouts, taking her parents away. They had been the ones who had abused her, reducing her to little more than a toy.

The scrawny little Asher felt her grief crystallize into rage. Desperately she strengthened it, deliberately shoring it up with thoughts of revenge. She would destroy them all she vowed, all of the Alphas. They had to have been the ones; they had always held the power.

First though, she had to take care of business. Magnus had given her a job to do, and she meant to see it through. Only then could she worry about revenge. She had to find the warrior. Dusting herself off with shaking hands, she resolutely continued down the path.

"Ares! You've really done it this time, worm." Sometimes being insufferably rude was the only way to get his attention. Xena paced restlessly inside the confines of the ruined school. The wait was killing her, and he was taking his sweet time, as usual. Big surprise, the god of war was being a jerk. "I know you're there. Answer me! Don't make me come looking for you." The implied threat hung in the air for a heartbeat, but eventually he answered as she had known he would.

"Right. And what would you do when you found me?"

Normally, the warrior tried not to look straight at him. Ares made her uneasy at the best of times, reminding her too closely of the darkness that still stained her soul. This time however, the peculiar tone in his voice piqued her curiosity. All it took was a single glance, and despite her best efforts, a fit of giggling threatened to escape her. Finally, she couldn't help but chuckle. His normally pristine black leather was tattered and covered in dust, and there were actually leaves and twigs sticking haphazardly from his dark hair. He looked for all the world as if he had been rolling around on the forest floor. He didn't look any too happy about it either. Struggling to stop laughing, Xena just shook her head.

"What's the matter? Somebody finally take exception to your stupid games?" It was difficult, but she managed to gasp the words out in spite of her mirth.

The look on his face was priceless. The expression in his dark eyes bordered on wounded innocence. He looked for all the world like a kid who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Interesting. Somewhat incongruous, but decidedly interesting. What had he been up to? Xena suspected it involved Gwyn. The only problem was, she couldn't prove it. Not yet anyway.

Drawing himself up to his full height, he attempted to look dignified. He almost pulled it off. No mean feat, considering his hair looked like a bird's nest. "Just a little disagreement with one of my sisters. Nothing you need to know about."

"Uh huh. Wouldn't have been Artemis would it?" Xena deliberately kept her tone casual, hoping to keep him off his guard. Given his current state, he was apt to be a bit unstable. After all, he was strung way too tight at the best of times.

"Um. Maybe. What of it?"

"Good for her. Didn't know she was strong enough to take you on alone." Xena still found it difficult to credit, given that Artemis was about half his size.

"She isn't. Hades is though." He admitted reluctantly.

As soon as Ares mentioned Hades' name, she knew for certain the disagreement had involved Gwyn and Gabrielle. Just the thought sparked a blaze inside her. Anger rose like a black tide, threatening to swamp her. Grabbing Ares by the front of his vest, she gave him a rough shake. "What the hell have you done to Gabrielle? Why couldn't you leave her alone?"

Jerking loose, he made a big show of dusting himself off. "Whatever. Try to do someone a good turn, and look at the thanks I get. Thought you'd be glad to have her back."

Before she could form a response, he vanished in a shower of sparks. Damn. She'd really blown that; actually managed to piss him off without getting anything out of him. That was what she got for letting her temper get the best of her. Now he'd be no use to her at all. She knew from long experience that he would almost certainly go off and sulk for a while, ignoring any summons. There would be no use in trying to call him again, he would never answer. Petulantly kicking a small rock out of the way, she turned back toward camp. There was no use hanging around the school now.

Cautious investigation of both her bag and Xena's pack had yielded astonishingly good results. Both women had been well prepared to rough it, although in different ways. Xena had carried plenty of weapons and ammunition, as well as assorted blankets and survival rations. Gwyn had carried much the same things, as well as a greater variety of food and seasonings. Between the two of them they had also had a good selection of cooking gear, including a small two-burner backpacking stove.

It had taken little time to lay out the bedding. Both were tucked back under the tree where they would be sheltered from the weather and the daytime sun. Close enough together to be companionable, but not so close that it would appear presumptuous. That taken care of, Gwyn's mind had turned pragmatically toward food. It had been more than a day since she had last eaten and she was predictably famished. Not that that was unusual, she thought wryly, she had never lacked appetite.

Using dried vegetables and tinned broth, as well as some kind of desiccated mystery meat, she had managed to throw together a creditable stew. It was just simmering nicely when a twig snapped behind her. She knew without question who had come up behind her, there was no mistaking the steady tread. Still somewhat irritated at the warrior's disappearance, she didn't bother to turn around. She marveled at how calm she sounded, even as she spoke. "You're slipping Xena. I could have heard you a mile away."

Gwyn nearly jumped out of her skin as Xena reached around her to dip a finger into the stewpot. She hadn't realized the woman had gotten so close. The warrior's breath tickled her ear as she blew on her burned finger, and Gwyn felt her own heartbeat begin to race.

"Wasn't trying to be quiet." Xena whispered. "Supper smells good."

"That's all you have to say after I did all the work setting up camp?"

"What else is there? You know it looks great, you don't need me to tell you."

Mentally washing her hands of the issue, Gwyn busied herself dishing up supper. There was no way she'd win the argument anyway. She'd be willing to bet Xena wouldn't even know why she was upset. They ate in an untroubled silence, and cleaned up together. It was amazing how comfortable it felt, working together that way. Very little was said as they crawled into their bedrolls either, talking could come later. For now, both of them seemed satisfied with the easy peace.

A short time later Xena spoke quietly, rousing Gwyn from half-sleep. She sounded pensive, almost as if she were talking to herself. "I'm not sorry you followed me, you know."

Gwyn turned towards the warrior and saw an outstretched hand. Smiling, she reached out and clasped it with her own. Neither one of them said another word.

Text & Original Images (c) M.C. Sak 2000

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