ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

EXT. WOODS – DAY

Xena rushes into a clearing where she finds all six girls together and trying to fight off three bandits that have managed to find them.

The girls are fighting hard, using both the offensive and defensive moves that they were shown.  One of the bandits manages to sneak up behind Dori. 

PATIA

(to Dori)

Look out!

He is about to deliver a deathblow when Patia hurls himself at him, knocking him to the ground.  Doris quickly joins her sister and together, they send him scurrying into the woods, happy to have avoided meeting Charon this day.

Dori’s eyes meet Patia’s.

DORI

(panting)

Thanks.

Patia gives her a small smile and nods.

Jinx and Esme are having a much harder time with the youngest of the bandits.  They’re working as a team, one with a sword and another with a stick-turned-club.  But it’s clear that he’s a talented swordsmen and the girls, with their spears and sticks are simply outclassed.

YOUNG SWORDMEN

Time to meet your maker.

Xena draws her sword and summersaults between Jinx and Esme. 

XENA

Funny.  I was just thinking

the same thing. About you.

The man growls and lunges forward.  The sound of steel striking steel fills the air. 

Nesha is unconscious at Shiri’s feet and Shiri, the poorest of the fighters is valiantly trying to protect her sister, but is about to be stabbed by the third man.  Suddenly, over her shoulder a single sais whizzes by, impaling the bandit in his shoulder.  The man screams and drops his sword.  Shakily, Shiri picks it up and awkwardly points it at him, but he’s had enough and stumbles into the woods. 

With only one man remaining, and before Gabrielle can warn them off, the girls form a ring around Xena.  Xena gets inside her opponents defenses, and slices the fleshy part on the man’s upper arm, sending a blood spraying everywhere, including all over the girls.

With his good hand, the bandit throws his sword at Xena, turns on his heels, and makes a run for it.

GABRIELLE

(to Nesha, who is just coming around)

Are you all right?

The girl nods.

Gabrielle glances up at the rest of young women who look pale and shaken, but proud.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

How about the rest of you?

They all nod.  And there are a few whimpers as they start to take notice of the blood covering them.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d -- sighing)

Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.

Grimacing, she gathers them together and they start walking toward the pond.

Xena heads into the woods to make sure there won't be any more trouble with these particular men.

CUT TO:

EXT. POND - DAY

Gabrielle is washing her arms in the pond while all the girls wash again. They’re all quiet and it’s clear that their first real fight has given them pause.

Xena walks slowly to the edge of the pond and kneels next to Gabrielle.

GABRIELLE

So?

XENA

(lowering her voice)

They won’t be giving

us any more trouble.

Xena hands Gabrielle one of her sais.  The last time she saw it, it was sticking out of one of the bandit’s shoulder.

GABRIELLE

(resigned but relived)

Right.

XENA

Are they okay?

GABRIELLE

Nesha is going to have the headache from

Tartarus.  Esme has a small wound in her

shoulder that I’ll take care of as soon as she’s

finished getting cleaned up.  Other than that

I think they’re just shaken up.  Xena, they are

too young for this.  They shouldn’t have

had to see or do that.  Not yet.

Xena leans forward and presses her lips to Gabrielle’s forehead.  Gabrielle sighs.  Xena pulls away... a fire in her eyes.

XENA

You’re absolutely right.  And I intend to find

out exactly what their mothers were thinking

sending them out like this.  They might need

help defending their borders, but these young

women are not ready to give what the

Amazons need.  No matter what the training.

This time it’s Gabrielle who reaches up and cups Xena’s chin, then gives her a small kiss on the cheek.

XENA

(Cont’d)

Have they told you what happened?

GABRIELLE

Apparently, your girls heard a noise

and thought it was my girls coming back

to try something. They went to meet them

and ran into the guys, at the same time…

XENA

Yours showed up.

GABRIELLE

And they all banded together.  They should be

proud themselves.  Unfortunately, I think all they’re

feeling at the moment is sick and scared.

XENA

Okay, we’re one team now. It was time for

them to show each other what they’d learned

anyway.   From now on we stay together.

GABRIELLE

Agreed. Jinx says that Esme was really

giving those bandits a rough time of it.

She had a good teacher.

XENA

Thanks. Same with your girls.  I saw Jinx

use a defensive move that I know you

taught her.  It saved her life.

Gabrielle accepts the compliment graciously and intertwines her clean fingers with Xena’s dirty ones.  She holds up both their hands and makes a face. 

GABRIELLE

(fondly)

C’mon, time for your bath.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAMP – EVENING

Xena has taken pity on the group and spent a good long while hunting.  The mostly-eaten remains of a wild boar are spread out as a feast, and the girls seem much happier now that they’d had a little while to absorb what happened, and have full bellies. She is leaning against a log finishing off a piece of meat and Gabrielle is seated on the log next to her, sipping something from a cup.

Jinx approaches Esme, Patia and Shiri with a bowl of liquid.

JINX

Here if you rub this on your skin,

it’ll take the smell away.

The girls look warily at her, almost afraid to take the bowl.

JINX

It’s okay, really. Queen Gabrielle

showed us how to make it.

XENA

I think by now you know you can trust

your sister.  They won’t let you down.

Esme shyly takes the bowl and smiles at Jinx

ESME

Thanks. It smells good.

JINX

I added some honeysuckle. It’s not

necessary, but I know you like it.

Gabrielle and Xena share a grin, remembering those first awkward moments when friendship started to shift into something… deeper.

PATIA

So, I guess we all lost

the war games, huh?

Gabrielle moves over to Patia and clasps her shoulder.

GABRIELLE

No, actually I’d say you all won. Xena and I

are proud of every last one of you.  And you’ve

learned the most important lesson of all.

XENA

I can teach you fighting skills.

GABRIELLE

And I can teach you survival skills.

DORI

But one without the other

doesn’t make much difference.

XENA

Right.

SHIRI

Hey!  You each purposely had our teams

focus on something different so we’d

see what we were lacking, didn’t you?

Xena and Gabrielle shrug and smile.

GABRIELLE

On the way home you can teach

each other what you’ve learned.

ESME

Well, I’ve already learned one thing.

XENA

What’s that?

ESME

Everyone is important in the tribe.

We’re best as a team.

Esme turns to Jinx and smiles shyly.

ESME

(Cont’d)

I’m sorry about all the mean things I said.

JINX

It’s okay.

ESME

No, it’s not, but I promise

I’ll never do it again.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAMP – NIGHT

All the girls are sleeping soundly. Xena and Gabrielle are lying together staring up at the sky. Gabrielle rolls on her side and tucks her hands under her head as she looks to Xena.

GABRIELLE

Xena, do you remember what Shiri said

at dinner tonight?  About the Amazons

breaking up? What do you think she meant?

XENA

I don’t know. But I know two things.  One,

it’s unlikely that the girls have much clue as

to what is really going on.  And two, the

Amazons are in trouble, Gabrielle.  And

we’re going back to see what we can do.

GABRIELLE

You know that, huh? That we’re going back?

XENA

You’ve never let your people down before.

You won’t now. 

GABRIELLE

Simple as that?

XENA

(Bittersweetly)

Nothing with us is ever simple. 

Gabrielle lays her head on Xena's shoulder and Xena wraps her arm around her.

GABRIELLE

(sighs)

I know, but it seems like the only time I’m

around is when there’s trouble. You know, just

once I’d like to be there when a baby is born.

XENA

(whispering)

Someday, Gabrielle.  Someday.

FADE OUT:

EXT. AMAZON LAND – DAY

Xena and Gabrielle are following the girls back to the village. Suddenly a group of scouts drop from the trees. They recognize the girls immediately, but look suspiciously at Xena and Gabrielle. The scout leader, a young woman of 20 or so steps forward.

MASADA

(to the girls)

You’ve finished your Rite?

The girls look between themselves and Esme starts to say something but Gabrielle steps forward.

GABRIELLE

They have. They have completed their

Rite of Passage successfully.

MASADA

Who are you?

ESME

Masada, this is Queen

Gabrielle, be respectful.

Masada head drops immediately.

MADSADA

Please forgive me, My Queen.

GABRIELLE

There’s nothing to forgive Masada.

It’s not as if I’m here a lot.

MASADA

(gesturing to her scouts)

We would be honored if you would

allow us to escort you to the village.

XENA

Esme and the others tell us that your

having boarder problems. Wouldn’t it

be better if you stayed on your patrol?

MASADA

But....

GABRIELLE

I think Esme and the others have earned the

right to escort us to the village. They’ve

done a fine job of escorting use this far.

MASADA

As you wish My Queen.

They continue past the scouting party toward the village. Jinx moves next to Gabrielle and smiles.

JINX

Thank you, My Queen. It was kind

of you to cover for us like that.

GABRIELLE

I wasn’t covering for you Jinx. In my opinion

you and your sisters have passed your

Rite you worked hard and you learned a lot.

PATIA

But there’s still more to learn, right Xena?

XENA

You never stop learning.

FADE OUT.

END ACT FOUR

TAG

EXT. AMAZON VILLAGE – DAY

Several of the village elders are standing with Xena and Gabrielle as the six girls are whisked away by their peers all of them talking excitedly about their adventure. Xena and Gabrielle just smile. One of the older women lays a gentle hand on Gabrielle’s arm.

ILYSA

My Queen, we are grateful for

your arrival. We need your

leadership in these trying times.

GABRIELLE

We’re happy to help and

we’ll do what we can.

ILYSA

Just as all of our stories of you say.

You come to us when we need you

most and you lead us. But now I’m

sure you must be tired. Let us take

you to a hut so that you might rest.

GABRIELLE

That would be very welcome.

ILYSA

Right this way.

Ilysa leads then across the compound to a large hut. She gestures to the door and smiles as Gabrielle passes. She cocks her head when Xena starts to follow.

ILYSA

Will you be staying with our Queen, Xena?

XENA

Where else would I stay?

ILYSA

Perhaps other quarters could....

GABRIELLE

No. Xena stays with me.

ILYSA

As you wish, My Queen.

The woman bows and leaves them standing and watching her go.

XENA

What do you suppose that was all about?

GABRIELLE

I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.

But right now, I have this knot right

between my shoulder blades.

XENA

Luckily, I know the cure for that.

Xena moves ahead of Gabrielle and pushes the door open.

XENA

(Cont’d)

After you, My Queen.

FADE OUT.

DISCLAIMER

No Amazons were hurt during the production of this motion picture,
but Xena sure was glad she missed those teen years with Eve.

NEXT EPISODE ON MAY 8TH, 2002