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. Some people may find this chapter disturbing.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS

CHAPTER FIVE

Darkness shrouding her movements like a cloak, Gwyn slipped through the Burnouts. So far she had managed to avoid Xena's detection without losing sight of her, but it had been a struggle. The woman was as slippery as an eel. Besides having to contend with the warrior's sly attempts to find her, she was on unfamiliar ground. The rough terrain was a bloody nightmare, full of unseen pitfalls.

She'd lost count of the falls she had taken. All that mattered was that Xena hadn't heard her. Somehow, the challenge of eluding the big warrior had gained importance in her eyes. It was as if she had something to prove. Battered legs throbbing Gwyn continued on, driven by a need she could not explain.

Kayl looked around the room with interest. It was sparsely furnished, the walls starkly bare. Magnus made no pretense of refinement; it was a functional space and no more. Everything appeared rigorously ordered, neatly in its place. The only discordant note was a rough curtain that hid the far corner of the room from view.

Almost as if her thoughts had conjured it, Kayl saw the face of a child peer cautiously around the edge of the curtain. Frightened brown eyes fastened on Kayl's, pleading with her, begging for protection. Something woke deep inside her shattered soul, flooding her mind with images long forgotten.

... "C'mon Kaylie, we've got to get out of here! Mommy's waiting in the car already." Her father's voice sounded funny, almost like he was afraid. That couldn't be right, because Daddies were never scared.

"Just a minute, Daddy! I've got to get Lindy." At that moment, her new dolly was the most important thing in her young life, certainly far more important than wondering why her Daddy sounded funny.

"Hurry up then, I'll be in the car."

She ran to her room and grabbed Lindy off the bed. On her way out her books caught her eye. Being a typical four year old, she had to stop and look at them. Finally, armed with Lindy and a book, Kaylie hurried out to the car.

She stopped in her tracks halfway across the yard. Two men were hitting her daddy and knocking him down. Another man was pushing her mommy into the back of a grey van.

"Run Kaylie! Run away!" her father yelled and then fell to the ground as one of the men hit him again.

Fear rose, choking her as another man grabbed her. She could still hear her father screaming as they threw her into the van beside her mother...

Magnus closed the door with a snap, jerking Kayl back to the present. Her father's screams still echoed through her, momentarily disorienting her. Her father! There was both a feeling of triumph and guilt in the fragment of memory. For the first time, she had remembered something before Liam. Something she knew had been lost because she hadn't been good.

Shaking her head, she forced herself to concentrate on the situation at hand. A quick glance told her the child had disappeared, hidden behind the dubious shelter of the ragged curtain. Must be the big man's new toy, Kayl though with disgust. She'd heard he liked them young, but this child couldn't be more than five.

Fighting the unexpected urge to spare the boy the agony that must surely come, she faced Magnus squarely. She had no time to waste on half-starved children. She'd made it this far; she wasn't about to lose everything now. Played right, this meeting would bring her the safety she craved.

Swallowing the rising taste of bile, Kayl began telling Magnus what she had seen. The tiny voice inside her whispering that saving the child was to save herself, went ignored.

Xena was having fun. The realization hit her like a trip hammer. She couldn't remember when that had last happened. At first, she had found her unseen follower intensely annoying. Now, it had become a contest of skill, a battle of wits. It had been centuries since she had felt this good, this alive. She had forgotten how good it felt. Gabrielle had just been learning to hunt...

Gabrielle... Gwyn... Damn it! Xena knew beyond a shadow of a doubt who was following her. It had to be; the coincidence would be just too great otherwise. A speculative gleam lit her blue eyes. If this girl was really that good, it would take something truly spectacular to get the drop on her something she'd never encountered.

A moment's reflection told her the girl was quite likely more lucky than skilled. Too bad. A wicked grin lit her face as she hit on the perfect idea. It would take a little time to setup, but it would work like a charm. There was a level area coming up she knew, perfect for a campsite. It had been the grounds of a private school before the Uprisings, and the high brick walls were still standing. They would be sheltered there, hidden from prying eyes.

It was perfect. The ground was still soft from the earlier rain; it would be easy enough to lay the trail. The question was, would Gwyn be naïve enough to take the bait? She would know soon enough. Whistling between her teeth, Xena lengthened her stride. The sooner she got there, the sooner the fun would begin.

"So," Magnus hissed through his teeth, "The bitch came back after all." Kayl was momentarily forgotten. She was too eager to curry favor with him at this point to be a threat. The description of the warrior raced through his mind. A tall, coldly beautiful, dark-haired, ice-eyed bitch… it couldn't be anyone else, it had to be her...

... Magnus had never felt so full of power. At seventeen, he was in his prime. Nothing could stand in his way. He already held half the Burnouts under his sway. The rest would soon fall to him as well. Once he had them all, they could take out the City. There was nothing he could not do. The world was his for the taking.

The main obstacle to his absolute dominion was a single man, the leader of the other side. His own brother, a fact that galled him beyond tolerance. The thought that Gareth, weak and unable to walk, could muster the resistance to stop him was incomprehensible and yet he had done it. Was doing it still. The mewling little wimp with his talk of peace and honor wooed the fools with the hope of a better world. It was an impossible dream, and it snared them like a siren's call.

Why? Any fool knew there was only survival. Only the strong would be left standing in the end. Magnus knew he was strong, what ever it took he would be the one left standing in the end. His little brother didn't stand a chance. Magnus knew it and tonight, his brother would know it too. Tonight he paid for his betrayal, his outright mutiny.

It would be a mercy really; the kid had been half-human ever since their bastard father snapped him like a twig. That one brutal act had cost them everything they had. After their mother shot the old man and then herself, Magnus had dutifully raised the little cripple. Now the ungrateful son of a bitch turned on him, hindering him at every turn. No more. Tonight, Gareth would die.

It would be perfect. They knew right where he was camped, where all his men where. The men were ready; Magnus just had to say the word. Nothing could possibly go wrong. A quick glance at the sky told him there were still a couple of hours before sunset. If he felt like it, he could get a little play time in first.

Just the thought of exercising his power excited him. Hurriedly, he strode over to the cages. As usual, the prisoners cowered away from him in fear. Relishing the scent of their terror, he took his time making a selection. The longer he drew it out, the more frightened they became. Sweet. Finally, he settled on a small girl from the last cage.

As he brought the child out, he could feel the eyes of his men upon them. Perhaps it was time for a lesson in power. That thought in mind, he led the girl to the center of the square. Grasping her tiny waist, he lifted her up onto the speaking platform. Ordering her to turn around slowly, he viewed her carefully from all angles. She was tiny, with an air of elfin delicacy about her. The tears that fell in silence from her liquid sapphire eyes inflamed him, fueling the flames of his ardor. Barely able to contain himself, he ordered her to strip.

Her breastless body was intoxicating, and he reveled in his power over her. Anything he desired, she would do. Seating himself on the platform behind her, he ordered her onto her hands and knees in front of him. As she knelt facing the square, he reached out and caressed her silken back. Her skin flickered as if attempting to shake off his touch. It was a futile response, and she knew it. He would take her any way he pleased. She trembled before him; ready to be impaled upon him, ready for her master's touch...

He could hardly wait to pierce her tiny body, to show the depth of his power as he took her for his own. As he reached out to draw her back to him, all hell broke loose. The warrior came out of nowhere; a peculiar ululating wail shattered the air. Clad head to toe in scarred black leather, eyes gleaming with cold rage, she came in like a hurricane. His men scattered like windblown leaves in the face of her onslaught. They made no move to stop her when she directed her attack towards him. There was a wildness in her blue eyes that spoke to him, a savage vengeance that made him cringe.

It was over before it truly began. Without a weapon, he could not stand against her. His men got their lesson in power as she stripped him naked and put him on his knees before them. They looked on in silence as she methodically beat him senseless. No one made a move to stop her...

Magnus cursed inwardly at the memory. It had taken him years to recover from the loss of face. Years to regain his power and gain control of the Burnouts. She had deprived him of Gareth as well. Bye the time he'd recovered from the humiliation, his brother had been spirited away. No matter how he tried, he had never found him. Gareth's men had continually harassed him, but his brother remained missing. She had cost him everything, and now she was back.

A slight movement reminded him that Kayl still stood there waiting expectantly for his reaction. Clearing his throat, he finally looked at her again. Stretching out, he clamped a meaty hand down on Kayl's shoulder. Ignoring the shudder that wracked her deceptively frail body, he made his voice as hard and commanding as possible. "Find them for me. Find them and report back. Do not talk to them, or let them see you." Without waiting for her to respond, Magnus opened the book on his desk and began to read.

Kayl slipped through the doorway, pulling the wooden door closed behind her. Once she got out of the command post she stopped to pull herself together. She was unaccountably shaken by her encounter with Magnus. Something about him made her skin crawl. When he'd touched her shoulder, she'd had to fight the impulse to scream.

The feeling had crashed over her, bringing with it an instant wave of revulsion. She had literally trembled in reaction, but why? Maybe it was the idea of him using that little boy, echoing too strongly of the past she sought to escape... Maybe it was something else entirely... Kayl wasn't sure the reasons mattered. It was going to make seducing Magnus damn near impossible. She had to figure this out; to get over it now.

Annoyed, Kayl stopped her wandering thoughts right there. She had a job to do and she'd better do it fast. Magnus wouldn't give a damn about her internal struggles. He just wanted results. Grabbing a bite to eat from the camp stores, she hurried back into the Burnouts. She'd find the warrior first, then worry about her nerves.

The warrior's blue eyes twinkled with an undignified gleam of delight. This was going to be so good. She'd really show the younger woman what she was made of. Aside from the obvious need to one up the little show-off, there was a lesson to be taught. Mistakes could be deadly and Gwyn needed to be reminded of the fact.

Standing still, Xena could see her footprints stretching out clearly in front of her and she knew they were equally clear behind her. In the end, she had opted for a relatively simplistic false trail gambit. Gwyn was fairly good, but she was depending too heavily on simple tracking skills and an innate ability to stay hidden.

Satisfied, Xena did a back flip up onto the wall flanking the gate. It was a perfect spot. The trailing branches of a weeping willow formed a verdant curtain, effectively hiding her from sight. Crouching there, peering along her back trail, she waited for Gwyn to appear.

The situation was poignantly familiar, reminiscent of the games she had played with the bard during a sojourn with the Amazons. It had been in the first days of Gabrielle's brief tenure as Queen of the northern tribes.

...They played their games in secret, hidden from the Tribe. Gabrielle could not ask her Sisters to teach her how to hunt and track, she could not admit a weakness. Her position was too unstable, she had to appear strong. So she and Xena played their hiding game. In the vastness of the northern forests they had found a perfect playground. There, amid the towering trees, Xena hid and Gabrielle hunted. Sometimes though, Xena couldn't resist the urge to turn the tables.

Right now, Xena was crouched on a tree branch above the path, waiting. It was time the bard learned to keep her attention on what was above her as well as what could easily be seen. Attack could come from any direction.

As expected, she could see the little bard creeping along the path, never once looking up. Smiling to herself, Xena got ready to jump. The instant Gabrielle passed below her she launched herself, knocking the surprised bard to the ground... tumbling with her... wrapped in one another's arms...

Gwyn's footsteps crunched on the path below, bringing a predatory grin to the warrior's face. Blue eyes glittering wildly, she poised herself to spring.

The last hour or so, it had been much easier to tail Xena. She had suddenly quit doubling back and trying to catch Gwyn, instead lengthening her stride and covering ground extremely rapidly. It had made it impossible to keep her in a direct line of sight. Gwyn was being forced more and more to rely entirely on the warrior's tracks.

Something about that set Gwyn's teeth on edge. Her path was straightforward, her footprints clear and sharp. She was taking no precautions to conceal her passage, as if she wanted to be followed. Gwyn found herself jumping at shadows, examining every flicker of movement with paranoid intensity.

The warrior's trail was leading straight into one of the more overgrown areas of the Burnouts, offering plenty of cover for an ambush. The path ahead was flanked by a high brick wall. The wall itself was half-hidden behind a cascade of leafy willow boughs, and it was setting off every alarm she had.

A misstep caused a crack that echoed through the woods like a rifle shot. Gwyn froze, jade eyes scanning rapidly over the immediate area. Nothing seemed out of place for an instant, then the barest flutter of movement caught her eye.

There! On top of the wall to the left of the gate, someone hid behind the willow. Gwyn's eyes narrowed briefly. There was little doubt that Xena had seen her. The setup was to pat, too perfect. The warrior meant to take her by surprise. She'd have to see about that.

Setting her shoulders, Gwyn took a deep breath and strode forward as if she were oblivious to the leather-clad figure hunkered there amid the greenery. Knowing the ambush was coming made it difficult not to twitch. The situation felt a little like walking deliberately into hell. Very unpleasant.

As she passed through the gate she felt Xena spring. A deftly executed flip brought her around to face the warrior. Even so, she wasn't fast enough. The other woman's longer reach gave her an advantage Gwyn couldn't hope to match. Xena wrapped her arms around her and sent them both flying to the ground.

Limbs tangled together, they tumbled to a stop in a leafy bower. Xena lay atop her, blue eyes gleaming strangely into laughing green ones. Gwyn could feel every inch of the warrior; the strength and softness together spoke to something inside her begging a response.

A glittering chain dangled from the warrior's neck, its spinning pendant nearly touching Gwyn's lips... mesmerizing her. Lost to the moment, she focused on the smooth stone. A heart, or at least half of one...

... The breeze swept in off the water, bathing the cliff top with moist warmth. She could feel the tendrils of soft air caress her, binding her closer to Xena. It was a triumph of sorts; despite all the troubles they'd gone through they were together.

In this moment, they pledged their love and devotion. - - In this moment their souls mated. Forever joined, even in death...

Gwyn looked deep into Xena's eyes, even as she reached out to touch the spinning stone. Moved by the cliff top vision, her voice was soft and reverent.

"Two hearts that beat as one, bound by love to be together."

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

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