Few moons after Xena and Gabrielle returned from India ...
It was a beautiful morning. This morning seemed to be the same as any other mornings but something very odd and for many people very funny was about to happen. The sun was rising, the birds were singing and flying from one tree to another one would think that they were playing some sort of a game. The smell of burning wood filled the air around the camp site where the two travelers were just waking up. Well, Xena has already been awake because who else would already prepared the fire and dishes for the breakfast.
She was hungy.
Certainly.
„Good morning, sleepy head," Xena whispered and stroke Gabrielle's hair. She usually gave her friend few moments before she started begging for something to eat. Let's face it, Xena was better at catching food and if cooking was a killing technique, Gabrielle would have won. The food that the blond woman cooked was always worth the wait. Xena started blinking and her eyes were moving in between Gabrielle's face and the fire place.
„Ok, ok, but let me do my practise first," Gabrielle smiled, rose from her bedroll and began preparing herself for the morning exercise. She knew how cranky Xena got if she didn't get her food soon enough. She looked into Xena's pleading eyes and according to what she saw she knew she had some time before she could get into troubles. Gabrielle went to a narrow place and stood in between two trees which were supposed to give her some sign of balance. Her body started moving smoothly and one pose was soon changed into another one, it looked almost like a dance. Xena would enjoy watching more if her stomach didn't scream at her.
„You have been doing this," Xena's hand did a spiral movement above her head as a sing of'whatever it is supposed to be' ... „exercise for quite some time since we came back from India," Xena finished the sentence. She knew that any kind of interuption would put Gabrielle off her balance beam. She was hoping that her talking would convince Gabrielle to move her exercise to sometime later in the morning so her stomach wouldn't have to wait that long.
„It's yoga, Xena," Gabrielle whispered and went back to her poses and breathing.
„It's important to do the morning practise before breakfast, believe me, you wouldn't want to watch me doing yoga after I ate," Gabrielle smiled and believed that the joke made Xena feel better. When it came to the warrior's hunger, there was no joke she could come up with that would scare it off.
„You can always join me," Gabrielle teased. Her yoga poses were getting better and better with each day and she was proud of herself. Even when she fought she felt the benefits of yoga.
„You bet!" Xena hissed and got up from her bedroll in order to put more wood into the fire.
„It really makes a difference, not only physical but also mental," Gabrielle said and finished the series of sun salutations. She sat down and her legs crossed into one of the yoga poses which she has learned was called a happy cow. She loved this one. She took a deep breath and leaned over her knees to stretch her back and legs. She wished for Xena to find her way to yoga so she could feel the changes this exercise did with the human body and mind.
„I am sure I can do the same even without practising it for as long as you have," Xena said and went to the place where Gabrielle was sitting. Gabrielle's left leg was now close to her ear. With every practise she did she was able to move the leg a little bit higher. Her aim was to get her legs behind her head and let it rest on her neck. Xena sat down and watched what Gabrielle was doing. Then she decided to give it a try so she raised her leg above her head. If there was someone else watching this it would seem like Xena didn't need any special preparation or strength to put her leg behind her head. It was almost natural. There she was, sitting next to Gabrielle with her left leg on her neck.
„Xena!" Gabrielle gasped in awe. Her eyes opened widely and she couldn't believe that her warrior friend did it with such an ease. She started clapping her hands.
„You see? It's nothing. Can we eat now?" Xena begged again. Gabrielle couldn't help herself and gave in not only because Xena's pleading eyes but also because she was so cute.
So stretched.
„I hope your excitement for yoga will last," Gabrielle smiled and turned around toward the fire already thinking about what she was going to cook.
„Ehm, Gabrielle?" Xena cleared her throat. The blond woman knew there was something weird going on since she didn't hear Xena's steps behind herself as she was moving to the camp. She turned and saw Xena struggling with putting her leg back to where it was supposed to be.
„It's stuck!" Xena yelled and tried with all her strength to keep herself up in the seating position. The tension was too strong and the stretching muscles started to hurt. She fell down on her back having her left leg still behind her neck. Gabrielle didn't know if she should start laughing or worrying.
„Oh, Xena," Gabrielle sighed and ran to her friend.
„Show off," she smiled and helped Xena back up. Her hands moved to Xena's left leg and she slowly and ever so gently rose the leg a little bit higher and then pushed it over the warrior head.
„Ehm, thank you," Xena said and checked her leg if everything was ok and if the hip joint was still in place. The leg seemed to be fine. Her first attempt to stand up failed so Gabrielle reached down and offered her friend her hands to help her to stand up. Xena accepted and soon she was slowly walking toward the fire place.
„You need to be careful. Yoga is amazing but needs to be done with some awareness of your own abilities," Gabrielle tried to enlighten Xena in this sacred exercise.
„I get it now," Xena whispered and tried to hide how ashamed she felt.
„Let's eat now, then," Gabrielle suggested.
„I lost my appetite," Xena answered lowering her head, looking down on the ground.
„Is there anything that would help with finding it again?" Gabrielle said teasingly and briefly looked at their bedrolls.
„Oh, yes, why do you even ask?" Xena answered and they both jumped back into their furs completely forgetting about the fire which was slowly dying.
The End
P.S. English is not my first language. I hope you enjoyed the story. I mean no harm to either Xena or Yoga :D
