Often, Xena would have a fight on her hands when it came to waking up Gabrielle in the morning, but the bard woke up almost immediately this time. Jamen was already up.
None of them was very hungry, and they were on the move again very early.
Jamen suggested that Gabrielle alternate riding behind both he and Xena, so neither horse would overheat, but they
could still make it to Acrimonius by afternoon. Gabrielle eagerly accepted, then looked at Xena who nodded her approval. "You can ride behind me first," she said. Jamen couldn't help but stare at the view as Xena nimbly mounted the horse that was even taller than his own. She reached down to Gabrielle who grasped her forearm, and swung up easily in the saddle behind Xena.
"Wanna' give 'em a run before the sun gets too high?" Xena asked Jamen, once Gabrielle had gotten comfortable behind her.
"Sure," Jamen answered, and they simultaneously urged their horses into a gallop.
Traveling that way was definitely a good idea and they were on the outskirts of Acrimonius during the mid-afternoon. The town, which was usually a place known for rest and relaxation, was buzzing with activity. This contest would draw people from all over Greece.
Gabrielle's eyes lit up when she saw all the activity, and Xena was glad for that. However, she hated big crowds, and there were people as far as the eye could see.
"There's Stallonus!" Gabrielle cried suddenly, pointing at someone in the middle of a group of laughing young people.
The blonde looked at Xena, not really seeking permission…it was more like she was just letting Xena know where she was going.
"Go ahead," Xena said, pleasantly. "How about we meet here tonight around suppertime?"
"Great!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Thanks! Bye!" She gave Xena and Jamen a little wave, and ran off to join the group.
Jamen grinned after her. "She's got a lot of energy," he commented.
"Uh huh," Xena drawled. "And she can make friends with just about anyone…" She suddenly seemed to become aware of her surroundings again. "I can't stay here until suppertime," she told Jamen. "I'm going to go check out the fishing in the river we saw on the way into town. Do you want to go?"
"Sure," Jamen replied. "I don't have a pole though."
"That's all right," Xena answered, climbing onto Argo's back again. "We can make you one."
Jamen mounted Mercury, and said," Okay! I have the feeling you'll outfish me too!" He grinned at her.
Xena gave him a crooked smile in return, and urged Argo forward, heading back out of town.
They rode about fifteen minutes until they came to a spot that was ideal for fishing. Xena searched the nearby trees, and soon held a long flexible bough, which she quickly tied a line and hook to. "There you go," she said, handing her creation to Jamen, and then she made one for herself.
Actually, she enjoyed fishing with her bare hands, using her keen senses to "feel" the fish, but the comment Jamen had made stuck with her. She found herself not wanting to show off too much, as she knew she could be quite intimidating at times. She certainly wouldn't intentionally hold back any around Jamen, but she didn't see any reason to show off either.
"What'll we use for bait?" Jamen asked her.
Xena looked around and found a good-sized rock. She flipped it over, and pointed to the earthworms lethargically squirming underneath it.
"Good bait," Jamen quipped.
They cast their lines side by side, and stood in peace for a few minutes. "I never would have guessed you liked to fish," Jamen said, after a while.
"Oh yeah," Xena responded. "I've loved it ever since I was a kid. It relaxes me."
As if to prove her point, she sat down on the riverbank, and stretched her long legs out in front of her, making herself comfortable. Jamen sat next to her. "What happens when you get a bite?" he asked her.
"I don't think we'll even get a nibble for a while," she answered. "It's still too hot for the fish to come this close to shore."
"Oh," Jamen replied, wishing he weren't so ignorant on the subject. He had been fishing a few times in his life, but had quickly lost interest in it, as he did with most activities that required him to sit still.
He found that sitting beside Xena wasn't unpleasant at all though. He stole a few sidelong glances at her, not being able to resist.
She caught him. "What is it?" she asked.
He shrugged. "You're a lot different than I imagined you to be," he said finally.
"How so?"
She seemed genuinely curious, so he decided to plunge in. "I always heard you were like an animal, in the way you moved. I mean…"
"You haven't really seen me fight yet," Xena responded.
"True, but I guess I had the image in my head that you would growl instead of talking."
She gave him the small smile he was quickly learning to love. "I've been accused of that a few times. But I started speaking more clearly because I got tired of people saying 'huh?' all the time."
He laughed, then continued," You're as tall as I imagined, but somehow, I thought you'd be a lot…wider. I had heard stories of your blue eyes and your using those and your feminine wiles to get things done, but…"
"But what?" she asked, the afore mentioned blue eyes suddenly just inches from his gray ones.
Jamen drew a deep breath, suddenly aware of an increase in his body heat. "But no one's descriptions of your beauty even came close to doing you justice."
Xena's eyes narrowed just a bit as what he was saying registered in her mind.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He wanted so much to kiss her just then, but wasn't sure how she would react, so he moved his head back slightly. Xena blinked, but didn't seem to be bothered by the movement.
"Which was easier?" Jamen asked her then. "When you became a warlord or when you stopped being a warlord?"
"Hmmm…" Xena said, considering it. "No one's ever asked me that before." She weighed it over in her mind. "I think I'm going to have to get back to you on that one," she said finally.
"Okay," Jamen agreed, his eyes turning back to the river.
"It's been said that you know Ares, the god of war personally," he said, after a moment.
"That's true," she answered. "He doesn't seem to want to give up on me."
"That's what I heard. And I can't say that I blame him. It was one of the things Barclan admired most about you; your involvement with Ares, I mean."
"Barclan talked about me?" Xena asked, surprised.
"Oh yes, all the time," Jamen replied, able to return his gaze again. "He was a big fan of yours when you were conquering Greece."
Xena gave him an ironic grin, before saying, "I've met others like him. They're the ones who thought I became weak when I changed my ways."
"Actually, I don't think that's how it was with Barclan," Jamen replied. "At least, he never said that. He always said you are just as formidable now as you've always been, you're just fighting for the wrong side."
"The wrong side," Xena echoed.
"Don't worry. I didn't believe him…I mean about the wrong side. I don't think I've ever wanted to be evil. Even when Barclan was grooming me to be that way."
"Yesterday, you said that Barclan went by many names," Xena changed the subject.
"Yes, that's true," came the reply.
"What were some of the names?"
"He's used a lot of them," Jamen answered. "Aphon, Donamius, Antle, Byemon…"
Xena didn't recognize any of the names; at least in connection with a warlord or assassin. "Is Barclan his real name?" she asked.
"He says it is," Jamen answered, "but he lies so much, I don't know whether or not that's true."
The tone of his voice caused an ache to well up inside Xena again. She decided to try another tactic. "What about your mother?" she asked. "Did you ever know her?"
Jamen shook his head. "No, I don't even know her name. Barclan always told me she was a whore who ran off as soon as I was born. I didn't really believe him, but no one's ever been able to tell me any differently."
Xena studied his face, so handsome and bright. In the brief time she had known him, she had found him to be extremely
good-natured and quick to smile. Except for the time he had gotten emotional last night he seemed light-hearted and optimistic. He was a remarkable man.
"Your father…Barclan…must not have been around much when you were growing up," she said.
"You're right," Jamen nodded.
"Did you have any brothers or sisters?"
"No, but my father had a lot of servants. Some of them had children that I was friends with."
"The servants raised you?" Xena asked. She normally wasn't so curious about people, but Jamen intrigued her on more than one level.
"Yeah, for the most part. I thought of them as my family. There was one I even called Mama Cenna. Why?"
"Because," Xena said slowly, leaning in close again," You have a very gentle spirit. There's no doubt you're a warrior, but someone has taught you the power of love."
"The power of love?" he repeated, vaguely. Something in the depth of her blue eyes had the ability to hypnotize him.
"Yes," she replied, her teeth flashing so brightly they dazzled him. "I knew it growing up, then lost it after Cortese raided my village. It was a long time before I was able to find it again."
"How did you find it?" he asked. Normally, he would have felt uncomfortable with someone invading his space, but he found himself wishing Xena would move even closer.
"It took a lot of patience on her part, but it was Gabrielle," Xena replied with a fond smile.
"Gabrielle?" he asked, surprised. "You mean you and she-" He broke off, not knowing if he was excited or disappointed.
Xena smiled softly. "There are all kinds of love," she replied gently. "But I had hardened my heart to every kind of love, except perhaps, the love of power. Then Gabrielle came into my life. It didn't take long for me to want the same kind of happiness she seemed to have. Eventually, she taught me that in order to have that happiness, I had to learn how to love again."
"Amazing", Jamen uttered finally.
"So who taught you how to love?" Xena whispered, her eyes and voice softening even further.
Jamen swallowed hard. He couldn't help it. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I do care about people, but I'm not sure I've ever really loved anyone."
Xena let the impact of that statement sink in. Something in his whole demeanor appealed greatly to her. She let her gaze linger on his full lips, and before she could think otherwise, she pressed her head forward.
The kiss was excruciatingly tender, and quite took both their breaths away. Their lips parted, and simultaneously, they reached for one another for a deeper embrace.
Xena's hands dropped the now-forgotten fishing pole, and her hands snaked upward to curl in the hair at the nape of his neck, beseeching him to increase the pressure. He obliged, and his own hands moved around her shoulders to hold her firmly to him.
Finally, they came up for air, Xena's eyes glowing and Jamen's heart pounding. Neither was quite sure what had just happened.
"Wow", Jamen whispered, and he was instantly rewarded with what he had been yearning to see. She smiled at him, a full-blown smile, and it was the most perfect smile he could ever imagine. "You are without a doubt," he told her," the most breathtaking woman I have ever known." He didn't know if it was the right word, but he knew that the smile didn't leave her face.
"And you are a fascinating man," she answered. Her eyes glittered then. "Not to mention a very good kisser."
He grinned back at her and moved to demonstrate that talent again, and was rudely interrupted by the whinny of a horse. Xena was on her feet instantly. "That's Argo," she told him.
Jamen never would have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He had heard tales of Xena's wonder horse, rescuing her from all kinds of scrapes, but he never believed the two could actually communicate with each other. Argo had been galloping toward them, and came to an abrupt halt in front of Xena. She was neighing something incessantly. Mercury was right at the bay's heels.
Xena was on Argo's back in a split second, and the big horse turned lithely. "Someone's in trouble!" Xena called, as Argo took off in a full gallop.
