What Happens Now?: Part Four (Death of a Nation: Book II) by: Katelin B. For disclaimers... see Part One. Warning: this part contains fairly graphic discriptions of sexual contact between two women. No... it’s not our intrepid duo... I think you might be surprised just WHO it is *grin* you know the drill.... under 18 yadda.. yadda.. yadda.. go away... ‘kay... on we go! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gabrielle shifted and groaned softly, unsure in her half awake state, why her back was killing her. Peeking one eye open slightly, her heart sank as she beheld her love, and remembered why she had been sleeping in a chair. A little angry at herself for falling asleep, the young bard reached out hesitantly, and touched Xena’s neck, wanting to make sure the injured warrior was still alive. She let out a shaky breath in relief when she felt the steady jump of Xena’s pulse under her fingers, and noticed the slow rise and fall of her chest under the blankets. “Thank the Gods,” she whispered, lightly brushing a lock of hair off the warrior’s cheek, and laying a gentle kiss on the skin. Gabrielle jerked back in surprise and laid the back of her hand on the same cheek, noting for the first time, that Xena’s skin was cooler than her touch. A wide grin split her face and she cried silently, letting the tears roll down her face in rivers, splashing on the sleeping woman’s shoulder. The little bard knew Xena was still unconscious, and wondered idly what had woken her up. The soft voices outside the window gave her the answer. She listened for a few minutes, making out bits and pieces of the conversation, and growing angry at the topic. From what she understood, her very own father had attacked Jayla, and the young guard had been injured in some way. Gabrielle stood slowly, and stretched her aching back, groaning softly. She was unwilling to leave Xena, but very curious to learn the entire story. The bard glanced down at her warrior’s face, finally peaceful in the aftermath of her raging fever, and smiled again in relief, hoping the worst was over. “Ah, I see ye finally decided ta leave Morpheus, child,” Yarilis said quietly, startling Gabrielle. She whirled around and smiled widely. “Xena’s fever is gone,” she informed the old healer, barely restraining herself from bouncing. She momentarily pushed her curiosity about Jayla’s incident out of her mind, and focused on finding out about Xena’s condition. “Aye, child,” Yarilis smiled back at her, revealing her crooked teeth, “Angry one opened ‘er eyes just afore midday whist I wuz a changin her dressin’s.” “Xena woke up?” Gabrielle blurted, even more excited, “Why didn’t you tell me?” She frowned slightly. Yarilis held up a hand to calm her. “Softly, child,” she hushed, “Ye warrior didn’ want ye woken. She said ta let ye sleep a mite longer.” Gabrielle settled down and looked back at Xena’s sleeping features with a soft smile. Trust her to think of my comfort even after nearly dying, the bard thought, her heart swelling with adoration. “Is she going to be okay now, Yarilis?” she asked after a moment, never tearing her eyes away from the warrior’s beautiful features. “Too soon ta be sure yet, child,” Yarilis said reasonably, “But even ‘er wound is lookin better.” Gabrielle smiled widely and impulsively hugged the old woman tightly. Yarilis grumbled good-naturedly and batted her away. “Away wit ye,” she huffed, straightening her skirt quickly, “Angry one tol’ me ta shoo ye off fer some food, cause both she and I could hear ye rumblin belly.” When Gabrielle opened her mouth to protest, the healer gave her a little push and shook a hand at her. “Git,” she continued, obviously not willing to take no for an answer, “I be watchin ye warrior til ye return.” Gabrielle giggled softly and smiled. “I’ll be right back,” she promised, and took one more long glance at Xena before rushing out the door. Remembering the conversation she had heard Jayla and Tirin having, she stopped in the main room, and grasped her staff from it’s place propped near the medicine shelf. She cast another long look at the now closed door to Xena’s room, and forced herself to leave, knowing she would only be gone a few minutes. Racing past Tirin, still standing at the door, Gabrielle told her to stay at the door, and headed down the street before the Amazon could object and begin citing several different reasons why she shouldn’t go alone. It was her own hometown, and she felt safe enough. Even if Tirin was worried about the latest trouble that Jayla had fallen into. Gabrielle made her way down the nearly empty street, glancing around warily for any signs of trouble. After a moment though, she realized what she was doing and shook her head in amusement. The Amazons had her nervous of her own people. The little bard continued on the inn forcing herself not to think about it. Pushing open the heavy oak door, Gabrielle was pleased that the incident, however minor, with Jayla hadn’t affected the jovial mood that was the norm for the favorite meeting place. Villagers milled about discussing this and that. Some nattered about work in the fields, worried that they might not get a good harvest because it had been so cold at night. Others complained about the food, as usual. And more still, voiced their displeasure that there was never any good entertainment to fill their evenings, besides the same old boring talk. Gabrielle chuckled and began making her way through the crowd, politely excusing herself when she bumped into people, or needed someone to let her pass. She had nearly made it to the bar, holding her staff tightly to her, so as not to knock someone with it unintentionally, when a large form stepped out, blocking her path. The little bard looked up, and up, into a face that she had hoped to avoid during her brief stay. “Hello, Sivos,” she said with a friendly smile, all thought it was entirely put on. “Hiya, Gabby,” he said with a drunken smile, showing the gap where his two front teeth were missing. His long unkempt blonde hair, was greasy and looked more brown at the moment, hanging in strings around his unwashed face, and his body smelled like it hadn’t been washed in several weeks. His clothes were no better, sweat stained and torn in many places, and he had several days of beard growth on his face. “Nice t’see ya again,” the grungy man continued, not moving when Gabrielle made a very obvious show of looking for a way around him. “Yes,” the bard replied absently, not wanting to strike up conversation with the man, “I’m only here for a little while. My friends and I will be moving on as soon as they’re well again.” Sivos grinned even wider, stepping a little closer than Gabrielle was comfortable with, and the bard had to clamp her lips together to bite off the smart remark she was going to make about the man smelling like he had missed his bath at Solstice. “Well,” he breathed, making Gabrielle’s stomach churn with his foul smelling breath, “Stay and have a drink with me, Gabby. I ain’t seen ya in a long time.” Gabrielle winced again at the sound of her childhood nickname. She hated being called Gabby. Only Lila still called her that without worry of being verbally lashed into. She struggled to keep her anger in check and signaled the waitress that was passing by. “Can I have an order of whatever you’re serving for evening meal, please?” she asked with a smile, “I need to get back to the healer’s hut.” The serving girl nodded and rushed off, eager to help Gabrielle on her way. “Sivos, I would love to join you for a drink, but,” the bard started after watching the girl pelt away to fill her order, but the large man cut her off. “Good!” he said a little louder than necessary, and reached out, grasping her arm a little too tightly. Gabrielle winced and tugged her arm back, trying to get Sivos to let her go. “Watch it,” she called, not at all happy with the way he was holding her, “You’re hurting me, Sivos.” Sivos didn’t release her arm, but turned his face back to laugh right in her face. His stinking breath nearly made Gabrielle fall over with nausea. “I thought all you Amazons were used to that sort of thing?” he chuckled, giving her a little shake, “I know the reason why you all dress that way and act like warriors. You want your men to treat you rough. You like it.” He giggled in a high pitched, annoying tone and gave her a little tug. Gabrielle almost lost it entirely at the drunken insult to her sisters. She jerked her arm back out of his hold and opened her mouth to snap something very rude at him, when she was interrupted. The bartender had decided that he had watched long enough, and stepped out from behind his counter to stop things before he had another incident on his hands. The other Amazon woman, he didn’t know, but this was Gabrielle, and he knew her temper was wild, but she didn’t let it go easily. She was just looking for a reason to shut it down so she didn’t hurt anyone. Even that pig, Sivos. “Sivos,” he said, clapping a hand on the big man’s arm, “Let the girl alone. Come have another drink. On the house.” That seemed to take Sivos’s attention away from everything else and he wobbled away to the bar, grumbling about women in general, much as he always did. “Thank you, Palum,” Gabrielle smiled in relief as the serving girl returned with a big bowl of mutton stew. “No problem, Gabrielle,” he nodded, then twisted his mouth into a crooked smile, “Hey. How ‘bout tellin some stories?” The little bard shook her head slowly. “Sorry, Palum,” she replied, seeing his crestfallen expression, “I can’t tonight. I have to get back to Xena. Perhaps tomorrow night?” She kept it open so that he would still have hope. She did realize that nothing much ever happened in this town, and the villagers were eager for a story or twenty whenever she came back to visit. “Sure, sure,” he nodded, brightening up a bit, “You take care of your friends. Come on by again tomorrow okay?” Gabrielle nodded, promising him she would. The bard hadn’t planned on being in town long enough to tell any stories, but Palum was such a sweet man, that she had just changed her mind. Perhaps when Xena was out of danger, she could spare some time to tell a few of the Warrior Princess’s adventures. “How much for the food?” she then asked, balancing the stew in one hand and reaching for her purse. Palum held up a hand with a silent shake of his head. “Naw,” he said smiling that crooked smile of his again, “Don’t worry about it. Just consider it a forward on telling a story before you go.” Gabrielle smiled and thanked him graciously before turning to leave. She sighed and worked her way through the crowd again, catching bits and pieces of conversations floating to her ears from the surrounding villagers. Some had seen her enter, but too worried to approach her because of the incident with Jayla, and the fact that she was still in her Amazon garb, kept their talk to speculations other than asking her outright. Shaking her head a bit, at first the little bard was tempted to straighten out the gossip with some truth, but then thought better of it. She didn’t want to stir up hostility among those in town that didn’t like the Amazons. At this point, ignoring the situation was better than getting into the middle of it. Gabrielle made a hasty exit out of the tavern and hurried back to the healer’s hut, eager to return to Xena’s side. *** ...his rank breath huffed in her face as he pressed against her roughly. She bit her lip until it bled to keep the screams at bay, refusing to give him the satisfaction of hearing her pain. He spit vile words at her, calling her every foul name he knew, and continuing his violation... Ephiny jolted from sleep with a muffled cry of fright, and sat up, trembling. Her wide unseeing eyes, still traveled the dreamscape that Morpheus had thrust her into, making her relive the horrible event over and over again. She whimpered softly, her emotional pain, far worse at the moment, than the throbbing in her side and head. A hand came into her space and she strank away before it could touch her, and it was immediately pulled back. Then the voice that went with it spoke. “Ephiny,” Solari said softly, her tones expressing her love and pain for the injured woman, “It’s okay. You’re safe.” The dark haired Amazon continued murmuring in soothing tones to the frightened woman, wanting so much to just reach forward and hold her tightly. She held back though. The way Ephiny had cringed back from her hand, nearly broke Solari’s heart, but she knew patience had to be exercised in abundance. Ephiny’s wide eyes watched the dream swirl and fade after a moment, replaced by Solari’s worried face, an arms length away. The pain on her face cut straight to the Regent’s core, and she realized how much the woman was hurt by this. She felt the same pain Ephiny did, and now the blonde woman could see that. A choked sob escaped her throat, and her eyes closed against the painful sight as she tentatively reached out a trembling hand in silent pleading. Immediately she felt it grasped in a tender but firm hold by both of Solari’s. She stayed that way for several moments, trying to hold back the tears long enough to gather the courage to move closer. Solari recognized the need Ephiny had to approach her slowly, and continued her soft words of love and encouragement, never moving from her place, save for the gentle stroking of her fingers against the palm the Regent’s hand. Oh please Artemis, she silently prayed, Let her come back to me from this horror. As if answering the prayer, Ephiny suddenly lunged forward, in a burst of false courage, and burrowed her head into Solari’s chest. She sobbed softly, but raggedly, unable to hold the tears at bay any longer. Sobs that became even more out of control when she felt Solari’s gentle arms fold around her, holding her in a protective embrace. “Oh, Ephiny,” Solari choked in a whisper, burying her face in the golden locks and rocking back and forth slowly, “If only I could take the pain upon myself.” Tears of pain ran down her own cheeks, dropping into the blonde curls unnoticed by either women, as the Amazon warrior let her strong presence comfort her Regent. Several minutes passed, Ephiny’s sobbing the only thing breaking the heavy silence that hung over them both. Finally they began to trail off, dwindling to sniffles and the occasional hiccup. Neither spoke for the longest time, though both had much to say to the other. Solari opened her mouth to speak after trying for a long moment to collect her thoughts. Ephiny’s whispered voice sounded in her ears, and she snapped her mouth shut again, letting the Regent speak. When she realized what it was the injured woman spoke of, Solari’s heart lurched. She didn’t want to hear what had happened, the very thought of it had been enough to drive her to tears, but knew Ephiny needed to get it out. And so she listened, while the woman she loved more than life itself, blurted out a twisted tale of her sacrifice and subsequent violation at the hands of the guards in Metreus’s dungeon. Punctuated by tears and the occasional choked sob from both women, the whole terrible truth was laid bare for Solari to know. Afterwards, Ephiny still curled tightly into her protective embrace, Solari found herself silently wishing Jayla hadn’t killed Metreus. She wished she had done it herself. Images of what horrors the Amazon would have inflicted upon the self-made king floated through her mind, and she felt her anger grow unchecked. For a moment, she let it, until realizing that it would serve no purpose, and stamped it down into a place that would stay locked until she was alone to vent without frightening the terrified woman in her arms. “Ephiny,” she began, then paused. In truth, she didn’t know what words she could offer that would help the Regent deal with this pain. And told her as much in a soft, loving voice. “No words CAN help, Sol,” Ephiny whispered, her voice rough from all the crying as she relived her pain during the telling of the story, “Just be here.” Her voice was little more than a pleading whimper at that last statement, and she felt Solari hold her a little tighter. “Always,” Solari vowed, pressing her lips against Ephiny’s head in a gentle kiss, “I will always be here, Eph. I will never leave you.” She swallowed around the lump in her throat and stroked the Regent’s back tenderly. “I love you, Ephiny.” There. It was finally out. Solari shut her eyes tightly, terrified at what the Regent’s response might be. Ephiny’s body shook with silent sobs. At first, Solari was crushed, wanting to pull away and hide, far away from everyone and everything. Tears of agonizing pain leaked down into the Regent’s hair, and the dark warrior felt her world coming to an end. Until Ephiny’s soft words reached her ears. “Wh-what did you say?” Solari asked disbelieving. She was sure she had imagined it. “I said, ‘you’re braver than I’,” Ephiny repeated again, just as softly, “I’ve wanted to say that for so long. But I’m scared.” She trailed off and squeezed Solari a little. The dark haired woman let out a long ragged breath and send a silent prayer of thanks to Aphrodite before speaking. “None of this matters to me,” Solari assured her, knowing what the Regent meant by her words, “We’ll get through this, love.” She pulled back a bit, and tipped Ephiny’s head up to look in her eyes, letting her see the emotion in them. “Together,” she added firmly, and laid a gentle kiss on the Regent’s forehead, carefully skirting the bandage that covered her head injury. Ephiny smiled softly and curled back into Solari’s arms, squeezing her tightly. Telling her with the embrace what she couldn’t quite voice yet. The dark haired woman understood clearly. She would give the Regent all the time in the word if that’s what it took. Needing to separate herself from the seriousness of the situation a little, Ephiny spoke softly. “Who would have thought,” she whispered, chuckling softly. “What?” Solari asked, wondering what the blonde Regent thought was so funny. Ephiny chuckled again and spoke again. “That we would come to our senses before Xena and Gabrielle ever did,” she explained, smiling widely when the chest under her cheek shook with soft laughter. Ephiny joined her in the humor of the statement, and the two shared their first happy moment since the celebration before battle several nights ago. She stayed close to Solari, letting the draining laughter sooth her back to sleep, feeling safe and loved, despite the horror’s she mentally fought with. After several moments, Solari realized her love had fallen asleep in her arms, and shifted gently to get comfortable, never releasing the Regent from her embrace. She gazed down at the sleeping form she held and smiled, sending a fervent prayer up to her patron Goddess, Artemis, to help them find the strength to overcome the pain. Together. *** “I said let me PASS!!” Gabrielle was jolted out of her light doze on the corner of Xena’s bed, and looked around blearily for a moment, before realizing what had woken her. The angry shouting outside filtered through the window with the morning sunlight and made the bard’s hear leap with worry, that things had gotten worse through the night. Jumping to her feet, Gabrielle glanced quickly at Xena to make sure she still slept peacefully, and dashed into the main room. Yarilis was pacing around nervously, wringing her hands at all the noise, and Solari had emerged to guard the door, from behind the curtain that shielded Ephiny from the rest of the activity. “Child!” Yarilis cried, looking angry and scared at the same time, “There’s a crazy standin out there, demandin ta be let in.” “Get out of my way,” the woman’s voice yelled again, “Or by the Gods I’ll tear you apart, Amazon or not!” Yarilis flinched at the bellowing curse but Gabrielle didn’t notice. The shout that had woken her, she hadn’t known, because of blurred senses, but the second one she did. And was so much like that of her daughter’s that it couldn’t be mistaken. “Cyrene!” Gabrielle called, and made for the door, but Solari held her back. “No, Gabrielle,” she cautioned, not understanding. “That’s Xena’s mother,” the bard explained quickly, prying Solari’s hand off her arm, “I sent for her when we arrived. When it didn’t look like Xena was going to survive.” “Back off old woman,” Jayla’s voice sounded in a growl through the door, “Don’t force me to hurt you.” Gabrielle flinched. She had indeed ordered Jayla not to let anyone in without her direct approval. Gabrielle threw the door open, and stepped out into the sunlight just as Cyrene was bristling from the ‘old woman’ comment. “Jayla!” she barked, placing a hand on the guard’s shoulder, “Easy. This woman is permitted.” She smiled gratefully at Cyrene for coming so quickly and stepped forward to hug her tightly. The bard reveled in the embrace, prolonging the chance to let someone else be the strong one for a moment. Cyrene held Gabrielle tightly, still shooting daggers at the young woman who had called her old. When the bard finally pulled back from the contact, the tavern keeper opened her mouth to let the disrespectful girl know exactly where Xena’s bad attitude had come from. “Jayla,” Gabrielle interrupted before Cyrene could even get a word out, “I know you were only doing as I commanded, but I’d apologize for that ‘old woman’ remark, unless you want to know where Xena inherited her temper from. This is her mother, Cyrene.” Jayla’s eyes went wide with shock for a moment. To her credit, the young woman recovered quickly enough, and bowed slightly at the waist. “My apologies, Ma’am,” she said politely, “My respect to you, for having what it takes to raise THAT warrior.” She grinned slowly, and was relieved when Cyrene smiled back. Gabrielle nodded at her warrior’s handling of the situation, and she silently guided Cyrene inside, wondering idly where Kraylor had disappeared to. “Thank you for coming, Cyrene,” she said once they were inside, verbally expressing what her eyes had the moment they laid upon the older woman, “Xena’s in the next room.” Cyrene headed for the door, completely ignoring the dumb stares that Yarilis and Solari were giving her. They were more than a little stunned that they were looking at the mother of the Warrior Princess. To them, like many others, Xena had never been a child. Before knowing them, she had only been a savage warlord. No thoughts of her being a babe, or a growing girl had ever entered their minds. Gabrielle followed Cyrene through the door after shaking her head at the open mouths of the women in the main room, and kept a respectful distance from the woman as she sat beside her injured daughter. “She woke yesterday,” the bard offered with a smile, “Yarilis says she’s getting better. Unbelievable, because of the raging fever she had. It stayed for a full day after I sent Kraylor for you.” “That nice young centaur headed back out to the woods,” Xena’s mother offered, knowing Gabrielle must be wondering where he had gone, “We met up with one of his friends. An older centaur. That, and I think he was worried about Xena finding out I told him all those stories of her as a child.” Cyrene smiled up at her, then looked back down at her only daughter’s sleeping form, tears coming to her eyes. Xena looked so weak and helpless laying among the blankets. The tavern owner had never seen her like that. Even when she had been insane from the Furies. “She’ll be okay then?” Cyrene asked hopefully. “Yarilis doesn’t know yet,” Gabrielle answered honestly, looking down at Xena’s sleeping face, “The infection in her shoulder is bad.” She paused for a moment, then smiled. “But the worse is over. I know Xena will survive this. She’s strong.” Cyrene nodded. “I believe she will, Gabrielle,” she said, resting a hand over Xena’s forehead, “I believe she will.” With that, the tavern owner fell silent, just staring down at her daughter, and stroking her cheek with the loving care, that only a mother can give. Gabrielle decided to give the woman some private time with her daughter, and backed quietly out of the room. She hated to leave Xena’s side, but felt better knowing that she wouldn’t be alone if she woke, and rationalized that she would only be in the next room. The bard was also confident that Cyrene would call her if Xena woke. ***
	Jayla tried to ignore the frightened stares that she was getting from the villagers as they walked by the healer’s hut. Unsure of the cause, whether the scene with Xena’s mother, or the incident with Lila’s father, the little Amazon guard fought off the urge to growl at them and remained dutifully at her post. She truly hoped they didn’t have to be in this village any longer than necessary. But with that wish, another unpleasant thought came to the fore. When they left, Jayla was pretty certain she would never see Lila again. “I hear there was some excitement,” a voice called out, and Jayla whirled her head around to see Tirin approaching with a frown, “I came as soon as the gossip traveled to the blacksmith’s shop. He’s finished the bridle links, by the way.” A pause. “Is everything okay?” Jayla nodded. “Yeah,” she said shortly, huffing a bit at the nosiness of the villagers, and their apparent need to tell absolutely everyone what had happened, “Xena’s mother has arrived.” “Xena has a mother?” Tirin blurted before realizing that it was a dumb thing to say. Jayla just grinned and nodded. “I just can’t see her as a kid,” Tirin smirked, shaking her head. “That makes two of us,” Jayla replied, shifting a bit on her feet and looking around again, always alert. Something caught her attention and she sighed, rolling her eyes. “I really need this right now,” she grumbled half heartedly, and Tirin followed her gaze. The blonde Amazon smiled widely, and nodded her greeting to Lila as the young villager walked up and said hello. She quickly turned her attention to a very embarrassed Jayla and blushed a little herself. “I... um...” she began, shifting the basket she carried from one hand to the other, “I wanted to apologize for the way my father acted last night.” Jayla shrugged slightly and mumbled a reply, wishing Tirin would get the smug grin off her face and disappear for a few minutes. The blonde Amazon seemed to have found something incredibly interesting about the herb garden in front of Yarilis’s hut. “Um... I was wondering,” Lila continued softly, feeling rather silly, and not at all comfortable with the situation, “If.. um... I could make it up to you.” The little brunette paused and looked over to the tall blonde, wondering if the sound she heard was the Amazon snorting softly. “Anyway,” she added, shifting nervously from foot to foot, “I have this picnic lunch. I thought maybe we could do it right this time? My father is in the fields all day today.” Jayla blushed and ground her teeth together at Tirin’s soft snort of laughter, using every ounce of willpower she possessed not to lash out and smack her sister Amazon with a solid jab to the face. “Well,” Jayla mumbled, looking up briefly at Lila’s nervous expression, “I’m kinda on duty here. I can’t leave my post.” Lila looked so crestfallen, that it made Jayla want to take her words back immediately. She would have loved nothing better than to spend the afternoon with the village girl, lounging around and eating fine food. “Go on Jayla,” Tirin piped up with a smile, taking pity on the village girl, if not her sister, “I’ll relieve you early. I don’t have anything to do anyway.” Jayla shot a look at Tirin that bored into her. “Thanks,” she said, meaning it, but her look told Tirin, that if anyone heard about this incident, the little redheaded guard would take great pleasure in tearing her heart out and feeding it to the fish. Tirin smiled sweetly and gave Jayla a little nudge. “Go on,” she smiled, “Before I change my mind.” The tall blonde winked at her, then offered Lila a curt, but friendly nod. She was pleased to see it returned as the two women walked off, heading for the woods. Once they were out of earshot, Tirin began chuckling softly, and shaking her head, amazed that her suspicions were true. The little terror had taken a very strong interest in that village girl. And they looked so cute together. Passing villagers were mildly startled when the imposing Amazon standing guard at the healer’s hut began laughing heartily for apparently no reason at all. *** “I wish we had some word about the village,” Ephiny grumbled softly to herself, ashamed that it was the first she had thought about the rest of her sisters since the battle. She was curled up in Solari’s arms again, finding that contact with the dark haired woman kept her dreams away, and made her feel safe. It had become an unspoken agreement between them, that they would hold each other through sleep at night, but somehow, it had progressed to holding each other, whenever they were close. Solari shifted a little and stroked Ephiny’s back lightly through the sleeping shift she wore. “I’m sure everyone is fine, love,” she reassured softly, drawing a soft smile from the Regent. Solari had taken to calling Ephiny that after their talk the previous night, and the blonde woman found she liked it more and more every time she heard it. “No one was injured during your rescue,” she added with a little smile of pride, “The centaurs just tipped the scale in our favor. Metreus didn’t stand a chance.” “I know,” Ephiny sighed, snuggling a little closer and lightly kissing the dark woman’s bare shoulder, “I suppose I’m just worried about those other warlords. They’re still out there. And the Nation is weak enough as it is.” She was reluctant to tell Solari of the nightmares she had been having along side the ones of her violation. Visions of the Amazon village, nothing more than cinders and ash; the aftermath of a final attack by those that had escaped during her rescue. Not only did those warlords scare her. But it was common knowledge by this point that the Nation had been severely wounded by King Metreus, and probably wouldn’t be able to survive another attack. “If it will make you feel better, love,” Solari said softly, dropping an answering kiss in the Regent’s blonde curls, “I’ll ask Tyldus and Kraylor to take a message to them. And bring back news.” Ephiny smiled and nodded silently. “I know I’m probably worried for nothing,” she replied, her tone a little self-depreciating, “I should have more faith in my sisters.” Solari pulled back and studied the Regent’s eyes. “You do have faith, Ephiny,” she said seriously, “But worry is the product of love.” She smiled, and kissed her love gently on the lips, “Besides,” she added with a shrug, pulling Ephiny close again and began to rock soothingly, just as the Regent liked, “It never hurts to be sure.” Ephiny purred softly and burrowed a little closer to Solari, letting the gentle motions lull her into a peaceful state, between sleep and awareness. As she slowly drifted off deeper, she smiled against the dark woman’s chest, feeling loved, and knowing that the terrifying dreams would not disturb her slumber. *** “... and so with one swing of my sword, I relieved the man’s shoulders from their heavy burden of carrying his head.” Jayla finished her story with a grand flourish, just as she had seen Queen Gabrielle do, and hoped it would impress the woman sitting across from her on the blanket. The little guard had hesitantly agreed to tell Lila of her part in the rescue, and warned to the task slowly as the tale progressed. Lila released the breath she had been holding and clapped softly. “That was amazing,” she gushed with a smile on her face, “It sounds like Amazons lead a very exciting life, Jayla.” She had been enraptured by the sound of the guard’s voice just as much as by the story itself, and wanted to learn more, simply to hear the Amazon speak again. “It’s not always daring rescues and wild parties,” Jayla informed her seriously, then grinned impishly, “Just most of the time.” It received the desired response, and the little Amazon listened to Lila giggle and supressed the shiver that the sound produced in her. Every word, every smile, even every little movement, made the village girl that much more attractive to her, and by this point, Jayla was having trouble controlling her urges. It had been quite a while since she had enjoyed closeness with another, but at this moment, it felt like an eternity. She was getting rather warm, and decided after a while, that perhaps the idea of a picnic alone with Lila hadn’t been such a good idea. “How about a swim?” she suggested, hoping the cool water would take away some of the urges she was finding it difficult to control. “Sure!” Lila agreed readily, and began stripping quickly. In a few quick moments, the village girl wore only a smile and raced for the water, leaping in with a squeal and a splash. Jayla sat stunned for a moment, still seeing the heavenly image of Lila’s naked body in her mind’s eye. Perhaps that wasn’t such a good idea, she thought with a sigh, and stood slowly. A quick glance at the pond, only steps away from where they had set their picnic, and she saw Lila, hair wet and slicked back watching her with a smile. Definitely not a good idea. Jayla shucked her clothes quickly, and noticed Lila watching her unashamedly, before leaping into the water herself. She swam down and touched the silt bottom before kicking off and surfacing with a great gasp, realizing that the cold water had not helped anything accept sensitizing her body even more than it already was from arousal. She couldn’t lose the image of Lila’s nakedness, nor the fact that she had seen the stirrings of desire in the village girl’s eyes as she had undressed. Distracted by her own thoughts, Jayla failed to notice when Lila approached her in the water, until the village girl was right beside her. “What’s this scar from?” she asked quietly, reaching out to touch Jayla’s collarbone. Jayla jumped in surprise, but Lila’s hand didn’t move away. “Arrow,” she choked out, trying to control her breathing. She knew it would be wise to move away, and put some water in between them, but for some reason, the little guard couldn’t make her body move, save for the gentle kicking motion of her legs as they treaded to keep her afloat. “And this one?” Lila whispered, moving her hand down Jayla’s arm, her touch feather light. She could tell all through the meal that the Amazon was just as aroused as she was, but wouldn’t act on it, until Lila did something to provoke her. She was overjoyed by the fact that it seemed to be working. Better than she ever thought it would. Jayla swallowed with difficulty. “Sword training,” she gasped, clenching her fists to keep from grabbing Lila and drowning them both. “I-I think it’s time to get out now,” she stammered after a moment, shivering from what she hoped Lila thought was the cold temperature of the water, not the intense heat of her own desire. She kicked away and swam quickly to the edge of the pond, gracefully vaulting onto the dry land. Lila followed her, suppressing a smile. Her exit from the water was done with less finesse than the Amazon had shown, but ended up on the grass, laying back to sun herself dry. She was more than a little surprised that Jayla joined her, the two women laying side by side and staring up at the clouds. Nothing was said by either woman for the longest time, and Lila began to worry that perhaps she had gone a little too far. Turning on her side, the young brunette gazed at Jayla’s body for a moment before speaking. “I’m sorry, Jayla,” she said softly, hoping she hadn’t made the Amazon warrior too uncomfortable. “For what?” came the red head’s reply, as her eyes peeked open and regarded her carefully. Jayla focused on Lila’s face, unwilling to break her concentration on curbing her desires by looking at her nakedness again. She only had to control herself long enough to find some privacy in the woods after the village girl had returned home. “Coming onto you so strong,” Lila replied, flopping onto her back again to watch the clouds slide across the blue sky, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” She fell silent and closed her eyes, believing she had read the woman wrong and feeling like a fool. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable,” Jayla replied softly, moving up to rest on her elbow when Lila moved out of her vision, “At least... not in a bad way.” She sighed softly, now knowing the village girl’s actions had been deliberate, and how to react to them accordingly. “I just wasn’t sure,” she added, reaching a hand out to run her fingertips lightly over Lila’s ribs. Lila trembled at the touch and opened her eyes again, seeing the Amazon smiling down at her. She mirrored it with one of her own, and reached up and drawing the red head down to her. The brunette trembled with anticipation and a little fear as her eyes slid closed again, and their lips met. Softly at first, no more than a light brushing, the kiss deepened of it’s own accord, and lips parted, allowing tongues to engage in a heated duel. Both women moaned raggedly at the sensations the kiss sparked deep within. The last of Jayla’s resistance, and Lila’s fear burned away in the flames of passion that their kiss fueled, and two naked bodies pressed tightly together, sliding smoothly. Jayla broke the kiss with a gasp, and gazed down at her soon to be lover with lust clouded eyes. “Are you sure?” she rasped, instinct telling her that this girl was still an innocent in the ways of love. When Lila nodded without hesitation, a soft growl escaped the Amazon’s lips, and she dove down again, kissing and licking at the brunette’s exposed throat. Lila was unable to stop the groan that was ripped from her at the arousing touch of the woman above her. She had been wanting this all day, and had dreamed it in sleep and waking hours several times. Now that it was here, Lila couldn’t believe the sensations it was drawing from her inexperienced body. Moving her lips down, Jayla latched onto a dusky pink nipple and suckled it greedily, her desire demanding fulfillment and denying her the chance to take things slowly. Her desire sparked hotly at Lila’s responding cry of pleasure and she moaned deeply at the feel of the brunette’s leg raising between her own and pressing tightly against her center. “Oh, Gods,” Jayla choked out as she shifted to show the same attention to the nipple’s twin. She ground herself slowly against the offered thigh, feeling her own pleasure rise uncontrollably, and lowering a hand to show Lila the same pleasure. Combing through slick curls, Jayla’s fingers found the silky treasures and massaged the hard nub gently. Lila arched and cried out, bucking against the Amazon’s touch, her body language begging for more. Her fingernails dug into Jayla’s back, drawing thin scratches down tanned skin, and pulling another ragged moan from the red head’s throat. Jayla forced herself to concentrate as her index finger found Lila’s soaked opening and gently pressed inside until it met resistance. Her fevered mind remembering that the woman was untouched, the Amazon used the small amount of freedom to pump gently in and out, pressing against the proof of her virtue, but never testing it’s strength. She wouldn’t take that unless her lover wanted her to. Her thumb found Lila’s pearl of nerves and stroked it in time with her finger’s shallow thrusts, making the young woman cry out repeatedly. Lila felt herself losing control of her body, and reached up to grab Jayla’s ass cheeks, pulling her harder against the raised thigh she slid on, and increasing the friction. Both women were panting and crying out in unison, the Amazon having lost her focus enough that she no longer suckled on either of the village girl’s nipples, merely cried out between them. Feeling her peak fast approaching, Jayla increased the pressure on Lila’s bundle of nerves, and was rewarded by the feel of her inner muscles clenching tightly around her finger. She felt Lila buck up hard against her and scream her name raggedly through the fireworks as her release blasted through her. Lila’s body tensed completely, and resulted in her pulling Jayla forcefully down her thigh. The final movement, along with Lila’s cries, triggered the Amazon’s explosion and she arched sharply. “LIILLLAAAA!” Jayla felt herself lose touch with reality and soared high. After an eternity, both women floated back to the earth, finding themselves tightly wrapped in each other’s arms. Jayla was the first to recover, and rolled gently to one side, pulling Lila with her, and holding the young woman tightly. She panted and gasped, trying to regain her breath from the intense release that had taken her away. Lila whimpered softly as her eyes opened and she realized where she was. “Hi,” she whispered into the emerald green eyes that gazed softly back at her. She smiled and shared a tender kiss with her new lover, sighing happily. Jayla answered Lila’s sigh with one of her own, and felt the weak arms around her tightly almost imperceptibly. The little Amazon smiled softly and cuddled Lila tighter, feeling her breath even out and deepen in a restful doze. Not seeing the harm in a little snooze, Jayla let her eyes close and joined her lover in Morpheus’s realm, her last thought of what Lila would say if she asked the young woman to accompany her back to the Amazon Nation. Fin. ~~~Okay everyone, that’s the end of book two. I hope you enjoyed it. Book three is in the works, and it looks like I may have to revise my definition of Trilogy... because there might even be a fourth book if people like this one and the next. you know the drill... katelin_b@hotmail.com