by Dario Persechino

She sat by the campfire watching her friend struggle with the new bedroll. Since they were heading into the Nedien mountains where it would be very cold. They had decided to get new bedrolls. They had actually managed to buy Odyssean sleeping sacks which were much warmer but Gabrielle had never used one before she was finding it very difficult to untie the lining. They were not like ordinary sleeping sacks, they were compact when carrying because they had a tie which held the lining and one that held the outer layers.

Xena tried desperately to suppress a giggle as her bard ended up head first in the sack. That was an odd thought, although not an uncommon one. For a while Xena had been thinking of Gabrielle more and more as ‘her bard'. In turn though Gabrielle had become used to referring to Xena as ‘her warrior'. She did not know when it had started but it felt right somehow.

Gabrielle was now completely amerced in the sleeping sack, not even her boots protruded from the end. She wrestled in the thick material now just trying to find the exit she came in from but to no avail. In the end she decided to concede this little battle and call on her warrior.

"Umm... Xena?"

"Yes." Xena knew what was coming. She had offered to show Gabrielle how to untie and get into the sack, but Gabrielle wanted to show Xena she could do it herself.

"Could you possibly... I mean if your not busy or anything... see your way clear to getting me out of this thing?"

"Weren't you the girl who said ‘leave it to me Xena, I can handle a sack.'? "

"No I think she left with my pride when I got trapped in an oversized bag." Xena smiled at the speaking sack and began to untie the hidden knot that held the lining. As the material became thicker Gabrielle started to worry.

"Xena I think the bag is shrinking."Gabrielle was now sounding panicked.

"Its alright I just untied the lining, hang on and I'll pull you out."

"You untied it from out there? I though the knot was in here you could have tol---WOW!" Gabrielle was suddenly yanked out by her ankles.

"If I had told you then it wouldn't have been as much fun." Xena smiled at her now dazed bard sprawled out on the floor.

"Xena next time you know I'm in over my head, if you'll excuse the pun, how about you let me know." Xena sat down next to her bard.

"You know as well as I do that you would have been upset at me if I told you the easy way. You like a challenge, but if it makes you feel better next time I don't think you can untie a sack I'll let you know." Xena ducked just in time to avoid the pillow thrown at her. "Hey, if that all they thanks I get."

"No."Gabrielle said all too sweetly. "You get another pillow." This time Xena did not get out of the way in time.

Xena was all set to throw it back when Gabrielle warned. "Xena, play nice or I won't finish telling you that story." That stopped Xena like a parent stopping a child. That was Gabrielle's secret weapon, she knew Xena loved hearing the stories almost as much as Gabrielle loved telling them.

"Ow, you said you would." Xena did her impression of an upset little girl.

"Ok, tell ya what. Put down the pillow, show me how to get into this thing and I'll tell you the rest of the story.

A little while later the fire was out and they were both in their sleeping sacks. Gabrielle was preparing to tell the rest of her tale when she realised that she was freezing. With the fire gone she had noticed how cold it was, and even the thick material covering her was not keeping her warm enough. So for the second time she called on her warrior, and then she did her impression of a little girl.

"Xena?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm cold."

"Yeah." Xena already knew the rest.

"Could I..."

"Yeah"

"Yippee!" Gabrielle shouted as she leapt out of her sleeping sack and in to Xena's. They cuddled and warmed each other up. They spent most nights like this. For Xena it felt good to hold the sweet girl in her arms and listen to her recite her tales. For Gabrielle it felt good to be in the strong but gentle arms of her warrior and tell her tales to her favourite audience. They held each other for hours that night as Gabrielle told story after story. In the end they relaxed in the warm loving embrace of one another.

"Goodnight my warrior."

"Goodnight my bard"

They drifted off to sleep, and even in their dreams they were together.