All disclaimers can be found in the first installment...

Dancing Mad

Part Thirteen -- The War Is Truly Joined

You should be happy. You should be really happy. I saved your life today. I didn’t kill you, although I meant to. Now go and put your toys away.

Anthrax / Alpha Male

 

Xena crept along the edge of the tree line. She had heard that the Maenads had been seen in this area. This was going to be their best chance to get Gabrielle with a minimum of risks. She looked over her shoulder. Hercules and Iolaus crawled to their places on either side of her, giving her an affirming nod to her questioning glance. She clenched her hands once as she surveyed the horizon.

“You’re sure that they’re going to be here?” Hercules whispered in Xena’s ear. She nodded and pointed to a hilltop.

“We’re going to cross there. They’re somewhere down below, I’m sure of it. The plan is simple: grab her and go. Iolaus, we’re going to keep the others at bay while Herc gets Gabrielle. Hit hard, hit fast and leave them confused. Understood?” She knew that neither of them needed coaching when it came to this sort of thing, but she wanted to room for error. The men nodded gravely. Xena looked over the hillside again, then started to run hunched over to reduce the chances of being seen. The wind was blowing into her, which meant she could count on surprise as far as scents went. Gabrielle’s nose was sharp -- a light downdraft would carry Xena’s singular mix of leather and steel to ruin any chance of a successful ambush. She took a careful breath, the air wafting into her nasal passages.

She knew that scent. The tang of sweet musk was as familiar to her as the smell of her armor in the morning. Her heart raced while her imagination took the scenario and threw cruel images in front of her.

Dammit! Focus! Complete the mission! She mentally chided herself as she continued to race for her position just short of the top of the hill. As she got close, she threw herself down onto the grass and crawled. She wanted to get a last spy at the group before she sprung her trap. If all went well, then she would have Gabrielle back in the tavern before the other three knew what happened. If things didn’t go well. . . then I get to work out my frustrations on Nysa up close and personal. Win-win as far as I’m concerned. She smiled at the thought of making Nysa scream, then shook her head again. She thought that Dionysus’ influence was gone, then she considered that her violent nature was amplified by the fact that this valley and parts of the surround area were under the wine god’s influence. Hercules wasn’t effected because of his parentage, apparently. Perhaps Herc’s good luck rubbed off on Iolaus, since neither of them acted as irrationally as Xena had. Then again, she concluded, neither of them are being stabbed in the back by their lovers. Another shake of the head re-formed her fragmenting concentration.

There was a sound coming from the base of the hill where the group had gathered for one of them many impromptu festivals. It was a sound that Xena had heard many a night in the woods when the pair were alone. It was a mewling cry that was followed by a shout -- Xena’s name often, other times it was simply an inarticulate cry of pleasure. Xena was hearing that cry beginning now, below her as she heard Hercules and Iolaus thudding behind her. The climax of that cry was covered over by the roar of Xena’s blood rushing through her ears. Rage -- the cold calculating rage she knew as the Conqueror, not Dionysus’ hot frenzies -- beat a drum in her heart that she could not deny. Xena jumped to her feet, letting loose a battle cry as she half-sprinted, half-hopped down the hillside. She never looked back as the knot of flesh came charging to her. One head pulled itself free, it’s eyes widening in shock.

Xena flung her foot forward in a kick that send the dark brunette flying back. The others quickly untangled themselves, angry over the interruption of their games. The three, naked and heedless of their state, chased after Xena as she sprinted for the bloody Maenad. She stumbled to her feet, wiping blood off of her chin. Xena pressed her advantage with another kick to the midsection, followed by a fist to the small of the back. The Maenad collapsed to the ground, grimacing in agony.

Xena whirled around, keeping her hands up as the darker haired one tried to rake her fingernail across the pale sapphire eyes. She blocked the swing, but caught the edge of one of the claws. The skin split open and blood oozed out. The woman smiled like a wolf.

“First blood.” She said. Gabrielle came stomping in on the left side -- Xena’s blind side -- as the other one came in on the right.

“Last straw.” Xena snarled. She made a lunge for the left. Gabrielle set her feet down like Xena had shown her several years ago. The right side Maenad saw the opening and took it, throwing herself forward with a shrill cry of anger. Xena thrust her foot out, catching the woman in the breastbone and sending her to the ground with a thud. Gabrielle and the dark haired woman moved together to knock Xena over when her balance was at its most vulnerable. Xena looked at Gabrielle and couldn’t recognize the woman past the mask of deep etched rage on her face. She braced herself for the onslaught of mass, mentally flipping through tactics to get the pair off of her with minimal damage to Gabrielle.

Iolaus came swooping in, knocking the dark-haired woman to the side like an empty barrel. Gabrielle slammed into Xena, her arms moving to pluck out any piece of flesh that had the misfortune to get into her grasp. Had this been any other person in the known world, Xena would have ended this battle with a series of well placed blows to the nose, throat and stomach. Instead it was Gabrielle and she knew that she couldn’t raise a hand to harm her. She couldn’t cross that line she set for herself -- even in self-defense. Xena raised her arms to ward off the blows and hoped that Gabrielle would slow down or tire enough for the Amphipolian to wrestle her into submission.

A pair of oak-thick arms wrapped themselves around Gabrielle’s bare middle and picked her up with no effort. “That’s enough of that for today.” Hercules hoisted her over his shoulder. “I’m going to be on my way back to the room at the tavern. Would you mind draping her cloth over her? The last thing I need is more awkward stares than usual.” Xena tossed the purple cloth over the squirming Gabrielle to cover up what was needed. He said his thanks and began to jog for the village.

Xena heard Iolaus struggling with the last Maenad who still had some fight left in her. She charged over, grabbing a handful of hair and dragged her across her hip. The woman screeched when she hit the ground. Xena plopped down on her chest, burying her knees on the woman’s arms and pinning her to the grass. “I am only going to say this once, so I want your full and undivided attention.” She reached down and grabbed the woman’s jaw in a vice-tight grip, “You listening?” The woman shook her head to break free, but gave up as the pressure spiked to an unbearable level. “Gabrielle is mine. You so much as look at her cross-eyed from the other side of town and they’re going to be sending search parties for your head. Got it?”

The woman lay still, her eyes shining in a defiant gleam. “She’s a Maenad, whether you like it or not. So, why fight it and us. Join us and think of the fun we can have, the five of us.”

Xena’s fist struck the woman’s jaw precisely. Her head bobbled back and forth as her consciousness was snuffed out like a candle in a rainstorm. She stood up, giving Iolaus a casual examination. “You alive over there?”

Iolaus grunted as he rolled to a standing position. “I used to dream about wrestling a naked woman.”

Xena’s eyebrow arched. “Oh?”

“Yeah.” Iolaus tried to walk, but found himself reduced to a stiff shuffle. “You know, the real thing never lives up to the fantasy.”

Xena snorted. “No, Iolaus. It rarely does.” She gave him a healthy clap on the back, which produced a painful grunt. Together, the pair began to make their way back to the town.

 

***TBC***