Captured Chapter 8

Captured, Chapter 8 

Written by Virginia Leonard 

Copyright 1998

 

            Rhoane paced through the middle of the campsite stopping every few steps to

take herself through a series of combat and self-defense moves with various

invisible opponents.  At the end of each encounter, she would throw her

hands up in the air and dance in circles to signal the defeat of each and

every opponent.

            Brandy, Gabrielle and Xena sat at the edge of the firelight and watched

their companion with a touch of amusement on their faces.  Well, Xena’s

expression was not exactly one of amusement; irritation came closer to

describing what she was feeling.  It helped that occasionally Gabrielle

would look her way and send a wink or a barely perceptible air kiss which

served to calm the tense warrior down.

            Rhoane’s agitation was beginning to rub off on the other members of the

encampment.  Xena had opened her mouth to say something when she heard a

footfall behind her.  Without a moments hesitation, she was up and had her

sword drawn at the ready.   It was not long before the source of the noise

stepped from behind a tree.

            That rabbit would never know just how close it had come to ending up in a

stew pot.

            Xena slowly turned on her heel and glared at her long-time friend. “Would

you please sit down?” she said in a controlled voice and through tightly

clenched teeth.

            Gabrielle recognized the tone.

            “I can’t.  I hate this waiting.  Xbreath...”

            “Xmerson,” Brandy corrected.

            “Whatever...goes traipsing off into the woods--who knows where--and leaves

us here to cool our heels KNOWING that we’ve got no telling WHAT hot on our

trail and some bloody deadline to meet and be the gods only know where!”

Rhoane punctuated her statement with a loud snort.

            Brandy leaned over to Gabrielle and whispered in her ear, “Patience isn’t

exactly her best quality.”

            “I heard that.”  Rhoane returned to her pacing only this time she added a

monologue describing the proper, or improper, behavior of amazons, their

questionable parentage and unnatural liaisons with various non-human

creatures.

            It was only after a reference to hard-headed warriors that Xena decided

she had finally had enough.  Gabrielle refilled hers and Brandy’s mug with

the hot kava, then sat back to watch the warrior princess and the thief go

at each other.

            “Need any help?”  Gabrielle asked.

            “No.....I’ve got it,” Xena said as she strained to maintain the hold she

had on her friend.

            When the dust finally cleared, Xena stepped back to admire her handiwork

then brushed her hands off and returned to the fire.  With a satisfied

sigh, she sat down and poured herself something to drink.

            “Nice work.”

            “Thanks Gabrielle,” Xena said as she leaned over and kissed her lover on the cheek.

            Brandy pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them.  “How

long can you leave her like that?  I mean before ALL the blood rushes to

her head.”

            Xena shrugged her shoulders.  “With her hands tied to her waist....she

could probably stay that way all night.”

            Gabrielle looked over at the thief.  “That rope isn’t too tight around her

ankles is it?”

            “Nah.”  Those thick boots will protect her.”

            ?Oh.  With all that wiggling and squirming, I hope the branch doesn’t

break,” the bard continued.

            “It’s a good thick one.  She’ll be fine.”

 

                        @@@

 

            She had no way of knowing how long she had been asleep before Xena felt

her dreams being touched by the familiar presence of her goddess.  She

slowly crawled from under the blanket, careful not to disturb her sleeping

partner and turned to see Artemis standing next to the bundle hanging from

the tree branch.

            “You always were good with knots.”  Artemis smiled as Xena’s face blazed

crimson.

            “You were always a willing subject.”

            The goddess inclined her head towards Rhoane and raised her eyebrows.

            “Too much chatter,” Xena answered the unasked question. “Got on my nerves.”

            “Think she’s had enough?”  Artemis asked.

            “Probably.”

            “Do you mind?”

            Xena shrugged her shoulders.  “Be my guest.”

            Artemis waved her hand and in the next instant Rhoane was in the bedroll

curled up behind Brandy is if she had been there all night.  Smiling, the

goddess of the hunt and the Amazons took Xena by the hand and led her

further into the forest.  “I don’t want them to hear us talking.”

            “Right.”

            Artemis finally found a spot she was pleased with and sat down, resting

her back against a fallen tree.  “I find great comfort in my wooden

friends,” she said as she patted the trunk.  “Firm and yet still flexible.

Giving.  Home to the tiniest of creatures whose survival is based purely on

instinct.  Unlike that of the other cunning creature that sometimes makes

its home in these branches.  Humans....are the only animals that kill for

any reason other than survival.”

            Xena lowered herself to the ground in front of the goddess and leaned

back, propping herself on her elbows.  It was rare that Artemis let her

personal guards down long enough to display any emotion other than fierce

defiance.  Xena had been privileged enough to be present on several of

those occasions. 

            Most people believed Artemis to be cold and unforgiving, hot tempered and

quick to draw her knife or bow.  Xena found that to be untrue.  The

huntress was fiercely protective of  those creatures, especially her

beloved amazons, fortunate enough to fall under her protection.  She was an

intensely passionate being, no doubt a gift, or curse depending on one’s

viewpoint, that had been given to her by Zeus.

            That intensity carried over into everything Artemis attempted.  Everyone

who had been granted access to this goddess had felt that same intensity.

Xena certainly had.

            The warrior felt the flush creeping up her cheeks as she remembered the

way her body had responded to her goddess’ touch.  There had never been

fingers lighter or lips hotter than those that once skimmed over her taught

skin. 

            Xena could still feel the divine body stretched out over hers.  She

remembered the smooth skin of entangled legs and lips pressed hard against

her own.  Then there were the fingers, deep, searching, in relentless

pursuit of one glorious moment in time when everything stood still except

for the ecstasy that coursed through the molten liquid filled veins of one

woman and one goddess locked in the intimate embrace of lovers.

            “Stop that,” Xena finally whispered in a low raspy voice.

            “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

            Xena smiled, not bothering to open her eyes yet.  “Yes you do.  Get outta

my head.”

            “Spoil sport.”  Artemis snorted.

            “You didn’t bring me out here to mess with my hormones.  What’s up?”

            “Always one to cut the fluff, eh?  All right then.  I know you recognize

your guide, at least for who and what she is.”

            Xena nodded.

            “Then you’ll also recognize the importance of what’s to come.”

            “I have no idea what’s to come.  Xmerson is as tight lipped as Rhoane is

loose.”

            Artemis laughed quietly.  “One of the reasons I chose her as my hicantha.”

            “I guess.  If you trust her, then I do.”

            Artemis’ head snapped up.  “Xena, in this you cannot trust anyone.”

            “Why?” Xena raised up and leaned towards Artemis, her face a mix of

seriousness and surprise.  “Tell me what’s going on.”

            “I can’t.  I’m afraid there isn’t much I can tell you at all.  Rules you

know.”  The goddess paused, drawing abstract designs in the earth with her

fingers, drawing from it the strength to continue the conversation.

“Brandy must fulfill her destiny at any cost.  Everything is expendable

in order to make that happen.  Everything.”

            “And everyone,”  Xena finished.

            Artemis raised her hand.  “Xena, you must trust the truth.  The truth.”

Artemis stood and offered her hand to her warrior princess and occasional

lover.  “Not love, Xena, not strength, but the truth.”

            Artemis began to back away and Xena would always remember what she saw

that night.  Tears streamed down her goddess’ face.  And then she was alone.

 

            Xena was just about to begin waking everyone up when Xmerson walked into

the clearing and dropped her pack next to the small fire.  Without a word,

the warrior offered the guide a mug of the warm brew that everyone had

become so fond of.

            “Thank you.” 

            Xmerson looked over the rim while she took a long sip and noticed a change

in the usually calm face of Xena.  She sensed, and could see, an air of

worry.  No, more like deep contemplation.  “Did you rest well?”

            “Marginally well.  Why?”

            Xmerson shrugged her shoulders.  “You look tired.”

            “Oh?” Xena shook her head.  “I had a visitor early this morning.”

            The guide then noticed the faint aura of green and gold that was the

signature of Artemis’ touch.  She lowered her face to her mug to hide the

knowing smile that played at the edges of her lips.  “I see.  The goddess

does have a way of showing up and playing with people doesn’t she?”

            “Mmm.” was all Xena could manage to reply.

            Xmerson weighed, carefully, the words she would use next.  “You can’t

change destiny.  You might be able to postpone it for a short time but in

the end she’s a stern Mistress and always gets what she wants.”

            Xena looked at each sleeping member of the party then brought her eyes

back to rest on Gabrielle’s face.  She felt her breath catch in her throat

and her heart open to allow more of the bard’s love to fill it up.  “I’ll

die before I let anything happen to her.”

            “Put your emotions away, Xena.  They will only serve to get you killed

this time out.”

            “Perhaps.  It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

            “What about the others?  Will you also die to protect them?” 

 

                        @@@

 

            Leahnthea waited until Hersius was well into her meeting with her warriors

before summoning the witch.  The soul of the amazon nation was stirring and

she had to be there when it was reborn in order to gain control over it.

            “What is it?”  Leahnthea hissed, then reminded herself that as onerous as

it was dealing with the this woman, she had certainly done worse and would

continue to do so until she obtained her goal.  Hersius was the only

pleasurable thing about this entire quest.  She was strong, which Leahnthea

needed, no, craved in order to control her often overwhelming impetuous

tendencies.  She was brilliant, bordering on genius and between the two of

them they had devised an almost foolproof battle plan.  It was also a plus

that Leahnthea found the warlord quite pleasing to look at and that their

sexual appetites matched perfectly.

            “The vision will come but in its own time.  Patience child.”

            “I’m no child, old woman, and I have no time for patience.  I...”

            “Ah...see?”  The witch interrupted.  “I told you it would come.”

            “What?  What do you see?”

            “The children are waking.”

            Leahnthea slammed her hand against the table.  “I know that, fool.  Tell

me something new.”

            “Your group is now about a day away from the sacred temple.  Second

daybreak from this one will find them at the gates.”

            Leahnthea stood and began pacing the room, her movements mimicking those

of a large cat.  She paused in front of the large dressing mirror and

admired the image reflected back at her.  Her figure had never been altered

by the birth of children and she continued to thank the gods for the herbs

that kept that from happening.  Her skin crawled when she thought of

another man, any man, ever touching her again.  She remembered the first

touch from a woman, the only human she would ever call a true love, then

blinked back the tears from the memory of holding her while she died from

the wound of an arrow.  An amazon’s arrow.

            “That’s as expected,” she said softly.  “What else?”

            “There will be a betrayal.”

            “By whom?”  Leahnthea’s voice had taken on its hard edge again and she

walked over to stand next to the table, peering into the black water of the

witch’s scrying bowl. 

            Since she could not see the same visions that the witch could, she had to

trust that she was being told the truth.

            “It’s not clear.”

            “You’re beginning to irritate me.”

            The witch laughed.  “What will you do, kill me?  Go ahead.  I’m 175 and

quite ready to see the fields.  Your threats don’t frighten me, little girl.”

            “Leave me.”  Leahnthea sneered.  “A betrayal,” she continued to herself.

“But no indication from which side.  All right, no need to get jumpy and

begin second guessing ourselves.  My plan is virtually foolproof.  If I

start jumping at shadows now, I’ll only end up making a mistake.”

 

            Hersius looked up and frowned when Leahnthea finally entered the room.

“You’re late.”

            “Unavoidable.  My apologies to you all.  Please, continue.”

            Hersius returned her attention to the maps on the table.  “I’ve decided to

push my people through the Larkus pass.  Doing that would put us at the

gates of the sacred temple four days hence.”

            Leahnthea studied the map.  “We no longer have that much time.  That’s why

I’m late.  I received news that the chosen is only a day away from the

temple and will be prepared for her ascension in only three days.  We must

find a way to be there by then.  Timing is critical to my--our success.

Is there no shorter route to take?”

            “Not without killing some of my soldiers unnecessarily.” 

            Leahnthea leaned over, placing her hands in the middle of the map.  “They

are expendable.  I’ve told you that.  What we are involved in here is much

larger than anyone in this room, even you, dear lover.  You will drive

those people as hard as you need to in order to stop Xena and eliminate the

chosen.”

            Hersius stared at her bedmate then spoke softly.  “I will do what I feel

is necessary in order to accomplish my goal.  I don’t care who falls by the

wayside, but I will not sacrifice my warriors without good cause.”

            “Then make certain you understand this.  There is no room for failure

here.  We’re committed to destroying the amazon nation and if we fail?  We

die.”