Historical Information:
* Buddhism = The philosophy of Buddhism originated in 563 B.C., from the original founder, Prince Siddhartha Guatama,
who later became known as Buddha. Although from India, Buddha’s philosophies, which later became known as Buddhism,
never found a strong following within India during its initial conception, as it did in the nearby Asian countries.
* Asoka = Prince Asoka was crowned King of Indus in 272 B.C. After a bloody battle in the territory of Kalinga where
thousands of warriors, men and women alike, were killed, and thousands more died because of the war, Asoka had an
epiphany and turned away from violence and embraced the Buddhist philosophy. King Asoka became known as The
Buddhist Emperor of Indus. He reigned as King for 37 years and during his reign he built irrigation canals, roads, rest homes,
hospitals and public gardens which specialized in medicinal herbs. Additionally, during Asoka’s reign, the Indus civilization
experienced an economic prosperity due to the peace and reformations within Indus. Owing to his past reputation in battle
and victories over enemy warriors, the neighboring kings never waged war against Asoka or his people. The land of Indus,
under King Asoka, experienced a renaissance of art, music, philosophy, and the sciences years before the European
renaissance of the 14th century.
* Kshatriya = India’s social stratification once operated with a caste system. The Brahmins were at the top of the social
system and were the spiritual guides and acted as teachers as well as interpreters of the laws and religious doctrine’s of the
country. The Kshatriyas were the warriors, princes and kings, in essence, the nobility of India. The Vaishyas were the
merchant class who were responsible for the distribution of mercantile as well as food supplies. The Shudra included people
who were manual and agricultural laborers, artisans, and masons. The outcastes or untouchables were the 5th group in the
hierarchy, and their duties including scavenging, cleaning up after funerals and anything considered to be an unclean task. The
final one level in the caste system was called Malecha. Malecha comprised of outsiders or foreigners living in India.
Chapter 7
The morning after the party brought a sleepy calmness to the two lovers. For Zara, sleeping late was not something she
craved, but she did enjoy watching the storyteller slumber. When the blonde finally awoke, it was a pleasure to share a
morning in tender love making before they had to rise and prepare for the day’s competition.
“Aren’t you ever worried about Nadrah?” the healer asked as they lay in each other’s arms. The smaller woman stretched
slowly with a catlike suppleness before returning to snuggle into the Moroccan’s soft, warm embrace.
“Worried?” Zara was confused at the Greek woman’s train of thoughts. One moment they were panting with the pleasure of
coming down from their exquisite orgasm, the next she was questioning about the child.
“Yes, aren’t you at all concerned about her whereabouts or if she’s safe?” Gabrielle asked.
“She is around, probably out playing, or getting into some mischief of some kind,” Zara chuckled softly. When she saw the
unblinking green eyes staring at her, the captain’s expression grew serious.
“I don’t worry about Nadrah when I’m here with Arjun. There is no safer place for us to be right now,” she assured. “Arjun
is always nearby, as are his wives and I’m sure Isa is keeping an eye on her as well. Gabrielle, of all the places for a child to
roam free, this is the place. I would prefer that she wander as much as possible before we return to the ship. Better that she
build up her legs, no?”
“I guess,” Gabrielle sighed as she snuggled back against the tall woman’s body. “I was just wondering….” Her voice trailed
off as her expression got a far away look.
“What troubles you, Gabrielle?” Zara asked.
It seemed as if the blonde would not answer but then, she sighed as she sat up, her gaze turning to look down at the dusky
woman. “Don’t you ever worry that a ship may not be a place for a child?”
Zara smiled slightly, almost half-surprised that her lover had never brought this up before. The topic was not a new one for
the seafarer and it was something that she often contemplated. With a slight smile, she lightly ran her fingertips over Gabrielle’
s bare arm and watched as the goose bumps rose and a shiver crossed the smaller woman’s well defined muscles.
“Oh, no! Now don’t you try changing the subject!” Gabrielle smiled as she shook away the intoxicating sensations.
“I have thought of that before,” Zara said with a sigh as she pulled Gabrielle down into her arms. “Arjun asked me on my last
visit if he could have Nadrah.”
“He wants her to live with him?”
“He wants to adopt her as his own daughter. He promised me that she would always be cared for. She would be a royal
princess of the Asoka clan,” the Moroccan smiled at the idea.
“A Princess!” Gabrielle echoed her words as she easily climbed over the dark haired woman, her legs straddling the captain’
s body as she gazed down at her. “And you didn’t want to leave her?”
Zara smiled slightly as sadness crossed her senses. “You think me selfish?”
Gabrielle thought about it a moment, then gave a reluctant smile as her brows raised, her shoulders shrugged. “I don’t think
it’s selfish. Even though you may not say it to her, you love Nadrah and you want her with you.”
“Yes, that is true, but I also feel responsible for her. I know that someday, she will leave. She will have to. It is inevitable.
Every cabin girl I’ve ever had has eventually left to be adopted into suitable families. I simply want to be certain that it is the
right home for Nadrah.” She replied. At her lover’s confusion, she tried to think of a way to better explain herself.
“You see, Gabrielle, I know that being adopted by Arjun would mean that all of Nadrah’s wants and needs would be taken
care of. But, the Asoka claim on Indus is not firm. At every turn, Arjun’s family must fight to hold control over the land. For
now, Arjun has managed to remain untouched by it all, but someday… someday he may find it harder to keep control. I
could never leave Nadrah knowingly risking her future safety simply because of a name she was adopted into. Do you
understand?” Zara asked.
Gabrielle seemed to think about it. Her body remained nestled against the Moroccan, her left hand lying over the captain as
her toes gently brushed against the taller woman’s legs. With only a smile, the smaller woman hugged her lover close.
“It must be hard to have the burdens of your ship and business, as well as Nadrah and your entire crew upon your shoulders,”
Gabrielle sighed softly into her chest. “Even of me. I can’t even imagine what I would have done had you not taken Xena
and me with you from Japa.”
Zara smiled as she clasped the smaller body against her and softly lay a kiss on the blonde head. “You are no burden and
even if you were, I would take you with joy,” she whispered. In a tender manner, she lightly stroked the woman’s soft back.
At the feel of the smaller body on top of her, she released a contended sigh even as her mind raced over the various
possibilities for Nadrah’s future.
As they lay snuggling, the blonde thought over Zara’s words. The more she came to know Nadrah, the more she began to
contemplate asking for permission to raise the girl. Although her life was not stable, Gabrielle hoped that once they returned
to Greece, if she was successful in bringing Xena back, then they might settle down and raise Nadrah. If Xena wasn’t able to
return, then she could raise the girl on her own. At this thought, she wondered if there would be any way to convince the
Moroccan to join her in Greece.
“And if we can bring Xena back, would you want to join us?” The storyteller silently wondered as she felt her lover’s
breathing like a steady cadence. She mentally chided herself. Although she knew that the captain cared deeply for the girl,
she also knew that the ship was Zara’s life. Nothing short of demanding would have coaxed the Moroccan away from her
crew and ship and Gabrielle knew that she would never demand this from her friend.
As her thoughts drifted to future possibilities, she allowed herself to enjoy the softness below her. In the short time since
arriving in Indus, Gabrielle felt a calmness fall over her friend. It was as if all of their past troubles, the pirate ship, the loss of
her men, were washed away and for this, the healer in Gabrielle was grateful.
When she glanced down at Zara, her eyes crinkled in a smile. With eyes closed, the captain’s light breathing and calming
features showed the peacefulness within her sleeping face. Gabrielle lightly touched the tip of her finger over the Moroccan’s
gently curving brow.
* Buddhism = The philosophy of Buddhism originated in 563 B.C., from the original founder, Prince Siddhartha Guatama,
who later became known as Buddha. Although from India, Buddha’s philosophies, which later became known as Buddhism,
never found a strong following within India during its initial conception, as it did in the nearby Asian countries.
* Asoka = Prince Asoka was crowned King of Indus in 272 B.C. After a bloody battle in the territory of Kalinga where
thousands of warriors, men and women alike, were killed, and thousands more died because of the war, Asoka had an
epiphany and turned away from violence and embraced the Buddhist philosophy. King Asoka became known as The
Buddhist Emperor of Indus. He reigned as King for 37 years and during his reign he built irrigation canals, roads, rest homes,
hospitals and public gardens which specialized in medicinal herbs. Additionally, during Asoka’s reign, the Indus civilization
experienced an economic prosperity due to the peace and reformations within Indus. Owing to his past reputation in battle
and victories over enemy warriors, the neighboring kings never waged war against Asoka or his people. The land of Indus,
under King Asoka, experienced a renaissance of art, music, philosophy, and the sciences years before the European
renaissance of the 14th century.
* Kshatriya = India’s social stratification once operated with a caste system. The Brahmins were at the top of the social
system and were the spiritual guides and acted as teachers as well as interpreters of the laws and religious doctrine’s of the
country. The Kshatriyas were the warriors, princes and kings, in essence, the nobility of India. The Vaishyas were the
merchant class who were responsible for the distribution of mercantile as well as food supplies. The Shudra included people
who were manual and agricultural laborers, artisans, and masons. The outcastes or untouchables were the 5th group in the
hierarchy, and their duties including scavenging, cleaning up after funerals and anything considered to be an unclean task. The
final one level in the caste system was called Malecha. Malecha comprised of outsiders or foreigners living in India.
Chapter 7
The morning after the party brought a sleepy calmness to the two lovers. For Zara, sleeping late was not something she
craved, but she did enjoy watching the storyteller slumber. When the blonde finally awoke, it was a pleasure to share a
morning in tender love making before they had to rise and prepare for the day’s competition.
“Aren’t you ever worried about Nadrah?” the healer asked as they lay in each other’s arms. The smaller woman stretched
slowly with a catlike suppleness before returning to snuggle into the Moroccan’s soft, warm embrace.
“Worried?” Zara was confused at the Greek woman’s train of thoughts. One moment they were panting with the pleasure of
coming down from their exquisite orgasm, the next she was questioning about the child.
“Yes, aren’t you at all concerned about her whereabouts or if she’s safe?” Gabrielle asked.
“She is around, probably out playing, or getting into some mischief of some kind,” Zara chuckled softly. When she saw the
unblinking green eyes staring at her, the captain’s expression grew serious.
“I don’t worry about Nadrah when I’m here with Arjun. There is no safer place for us to be right now,” she assured. “Arjun
is always nearby, as are his wives and I’m sure Isa is keeping an eye on her as well. Gabrielle, of all the places for a child to
roam free, this is the place. I would prefer that she wander as much as possible before we return to the ship. Better that she
build up her legs, no?”
“I guess,” Gabrielle sighed as she snuggled back against the tall woman’s body. “I was just wondering….” Her voice trailed
off as her expression got a far away look.
“What troubles you, Gabrielle?” Zara asked.
It seemed as if the blonde would not answer but then, she sighed as she sat up, her gaze turning to look down at the dusky
woman. “Don’t you ever worry that a ship may not be a place for a child?”
Zara smiled slightly, almost half-surprised that her lover had never brought this up before. The topic was not a new one for
the seafarer and it was something that she often contemplated. With a slight smile, she lightly ran her fingertips over Gabrielle’
s bare arm and watched as the goose bumps rose and a shiver crossed the smaller woman’s well defined muscles.
“Oh, no! Now don’t you try changing the subject!” Gabrielle smiled as she shook away the intoxicating sensations.
“I have thought of that before,” Zara said with a sigh as she pulled Gabrielle down into her arms. “Arjun asked me on my last
visit if he could have Nadrah.”
“He wants her to live with him?”
“He wants to adopt her as his own daughter. He promised me that she would always be cared for. She would be a royal
princess of the Asoka clan,” the Moroccan smiled at the idea.
“A Princess!” Gabrielle echoed her words as she easily climbed over the dark haired woman, her legs straddling the captain’
s body as she gazed down at her. “And you didn’t want to leave her?”
Zara smiled slightly as sadness crossed her senses. “You think me selfish?”
Gabrielle thought about it a moment, then gave a reluctant smile as her brows raised, her shoulders shrugged. “I don’t think
it’s selfish. Even though you may not say it to her, you love Nadrah and you want her with you.”
“Yes, that is true, but I also feel responsible for her. I know that someday, she will leave. She will have to. It is inevitable.
Every cabin girl I’ve ever had has eventually left to be adopted into suitable families. I simply want to be certain that it is the
right home for Nadrah.” She replied. At her lover’s confusion, she tried to think of a way to better explain herself.
“You see, Gabrielle, I know that being adopted by Arjun would mean that all of Nadrah’s wants and needs would be taken
care of. But, the Asoka claim on Indus is not firm. At every turn, Arjun’s family must fight to hold control over the land. For
now, Arjun has managed to remain untouched by it all, but someday… someday he may find it harder to keep control. I
could never leave Nadrah knowingly risking her future safety simply because of a name she was adopted into. Do you
understand?” Zara asked.
Gabrielle seemed to think about it. Her body remained nestled against the Moroccan, her left hand lying over the captain as
her toes gently brushed against the taller woman’s legs. With only a smile, the smaller woman hugged her lover close.
“It must be hard to have the burdens of your ship and business, as well as Nadrah and your entire crew upon your shoulders,”
Gabrielle sighed softly into her chest. “Even of me. I can’t even imagine what I would have done had you not taken Xena
and me with you from Japa.”
Zara smiled as she clasped the smaller body against her and softly lay a kiss on the blonde head. “You are no burden and
even if you were, I would take you with joy,” she whispered. In a tender manner, she lightly stroked the woman’s soft back.
At the feel of the smaller body on top of her, she released a contended sigh even as her mind raced over the various
possibilities for Nadrah’s future.
As they lay snuggling, the blonde thought over Zara’s words. The more she came to know Nadrah, the more she began to
contemplate asking for permission to raise the girl. Although her life was not stable, Gabrielle hoped that once they returned
to Greece, if she was successful in bringing Xena back, then they might settle down and raise Nadrah. If Xena wasn’t able to
return, then she could raise the girl on her own. At this thought, she wondered if there would be any way to convince the
Moroccan to join her in Greece.
“And if we can bring Xena back, would you want to join us?” The storyteller silently wondered as she felt her lover’s
breathing like a steady cadence. She mentally chided herself. Although she knew that the captain cared deeply for the girl,
she also knew that the ship was Zara’s life. Nothing short of demanding would have coaxed the Moroccan away from her
crew and ship and Gabrielle knew that she would never demand this from her friend.
As her thoughts drifted to future possibilities, she allowed herself to enjoy the softness below her. In the short time since
arriving in Indus, Gabrielle felt a calmness fall over her friend. It was as if all of their past troubles, the pirate ship, the loss of
her men, were washed away and for this, the healer in Gabrielle was grateful.
When she glanced down at Zara, her eyes crinkled in a smile. With eyes closed, the captain’s light breathing and calming
features showed the peacefulness within her sleeping face. Gabrielle lightly touched the tip of her finger over the Moroccan’s
gently curving brow.
