JUST ONE BITE

pt.5

Holding her sword ready, Xena faced the pair of Bacchae that had taken their wolf forms after they had brutally killed a couple of thieves. With their snouts still coated in the men's blood, the transformed women snarled and beared their teeth as Xena gestured for them to come after her.

XENA
(Taunting tone) Well come on.

The Bacchae growled as they ran and lunged at her. Xena dodged one and kicked the other away. The one she had just dodged came back at her, and Xena swung her blade. The first animal form Bacchae dodged as the second lunged at Xena who kicked the creature away. The first came at her again and before Xena could do anything, the Bacchae jumped and sunk her teeth into Xena's flesh. With a painful yell, Xena reached and pryed the creature's jaws off of her and threw her. The Bacchae whimpered as she hit the ground, but got back up and growled fiercely at Xena before the creature turn away and ran off as Xena noticed the other had also ran off as well. Xena looked at the bite she'd received and saw that wasn't major before looking around the area for the lyre.

JOXER
You see anything?

ORPHEUS
No I don't see her.

Joxer turned the pole that Orpheus' head was on as they stood among a crowd looking for Gabrielle after they had grown worried about her being gone for so long.

JOXER
Come on, where could she be?

Joxer continued to hold Orpheus above the crowd to give them a good vantage point as he moved through the sea of people that danced to the music being played and seemed completely obvious to the od sight of a man with a head on a pole moving around among them. As they searched, Joxer was becoming increasingly worried that they might not find Gabrielle and that someone might have already happened to her.

ORPHEUS
There she is.

Hearing Orpheus Joxer stopped walking and looked around but didn't see Gabrielle, he then looked up at the disembodied bard.

JOXER
Where?

ORPHEUS
In the middle of the room. She's dancing with a couple of other women.

Joxer searched for a moment before finally spotting Gabrielle among the crowd. He squinted curiously at the women Gabrielle was dancing with for a moment, as something about them didn't seem right.

JOXER
Here hold this for me will ya.

Joxer shoved the pole with Orpheus on it into a nearby villager's hand as he moved through the crowd. Meanwhile, Gabrielle was completely oblivious to the fact that she was being looked for as she was now completely lost in the music while continuing to dance with the pair of women who had moved close to her. She closed her eyes as she felt herself slipping further into the atmosphere. That was until she felt herself being grabbed by the arm and yanked backwards. Her eyes popped open as she stumbled back, and after a moment regained her balance. She then turned to see Joxer standing there and pulled her arm from his grasp.

GABRIELLE
(Irritated tone) Joxer what do you think you're doing?!

Joxer pointed to the women that Gabrielle had been dancing with.

JOXER
You were dancing with a couple of Bacchae.

Gabrielle scoffed.