Xena and the fire...

...Her nose twitched and itched as she slowly gathered the straw from the floor of the kajirae cage. It's dry, musty smell attacking her nose. Her eyes watered and teared as her nose itched fiercely. Her soft, gentle fingers rubbing at her nose calmed it for a bit as she continued her given task...

...Her arms full she took the first batch of the old, stale straw towards the back where a fire was crackling lazily. She stood there for a moment, watching the flames sway and swivel in their dance of destruction. Her hips swayed slowly with the flames, her heart pumping a bit faster as she imitated the flames slow sensual dance with her body...


... Quickly she laid the the straw onto the flames, a slow white smoke billowed and swayed from the fire beneath. She could feel her now empty arms flow softly with her hips. She knew if she was seen doing such could mean the whip, but she could not help herself....


... The flames leapt up through the dry straw, it's heat licking at her body, caressing her, enticing her. She could feel herself being drawn towards it's hunger, it's seductive lust to feed.
She stopped suddenly, the sting of it's fiery lips biting deep into her hand. Her hand pulled away quickly on instinct, yet the dance of the flames and smoke kept luring her closer...

...It felt as if it had been hours as she stood there, the flames slowly dieing from the now ashen straw. She turned away from it slowly, reluctantly, and headed back towards the kennel. Quickly she gathered more of the musty straw into her arms until they were full several times. Each time she would feed the flames hunger, each time letting it's heat caress her body, envelope her soul.
The last of the straw gathered in her arms she headed back out to the seductive flames one last time. Her heart raced at the thought of feeling it's hunger for her, to taste it's thick smoke upon her lips as gentle as a baby's kiss, to watch it's enticing dance in her eyes.... once more...

Upon...

Upon the dawn I awake, 

Upon the dawn I see what the day brings forth, 

Upon the dawn I smell your presence... 

 Dawn breaks from it's slumber, 

My eyes open reluctantly, 

My body begins to stir... 

 The day begins it's story, 

My role but a small piece, 

Ours but a part of the whole... 

 Upon the dawn I see, 

Upon the dawn I smile, 

Upon the dawn I see you are there... 

 Dawn glistens in your eyes, 

My heart races, 

My heart beats faster... 

 Upon the dawn I know, 

Upon the dawn I feel, 

Upon the dawn I see... 

What you mean to me... 

 **inspired by Ebony Glendevon**