ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

EXT. DESERT CAMPGROUND - NIGHT - PRESENT X&G TIME

Xena and Gabrielle are stretched out on a blanket, studying a similar blanket of stars to the one 36 years prior.  Their fire is also crackling warmly, and the horses are over nibbling at some tough-looking grassy growth.  The terrain has changed slightly, there is more vegetation and the hills are taller than the ones from the morning.

GABRIELLE

I didn't know you were into

stargazing before we met.

XENA

I wasn't, other than

to get my bearings.

GABRIELLE

But you wished on that shooting star.

There must have been some magic

in them for you, even back then.

Xena smiles and rolls to her side, and traces Gabrielle's bare forearm with her fingertips.

XENA

There was no magic in the

stars, Gabrielle, until you

taught me how to see it there.

Gabrielle's face is at first surprised.  Slowly, she smiles, and then pulls Xena into a hug.

GABRIELLE

(whispering)

You wanna know a secret?

XENA

(whispering back)

What?

GABRIELLE

There was no magic in them

for me, until I had someone

to share them with.

They hold each other close for a long moment, then separate just enough to lie on their sides on the bedroll facing each other, with very little space between them.

XENA

I was glad of those stars

that night, though for

a very different reason.

CUT TO:

EXT. DESERT CAMPGROUND - NIGHT - 36 SUMMERS AGO

Xena is asleep on her bedroll.   There are so many stars overhead, they illuminate the ground enough to make out basic detail.  She hears a sound like a twig breaking, and she slowly reaches out from beneath the blanket on both sides, her fingers curling around her chakram and her sword hilt.  She continues to lay still, her eyes closed.

We hear a shuffling noise and Xena's fingers twitch against her chakram, but her eyes remain closed.  A shadow passes over her face and starlight glitters against metal, revealing a scimitar blade raised directly over her throat.  As it descends, Xena's sword pops up, stopping it.  At the same time, she lets her chakram fly.  It ricochets off two rocks and whizzes past Argo.  Several yards behind Argo, a shadowy figure looms with a dagger raised, ready to be hurled at Argo.  The chakram knocks the blade from the man's hand.

Xena jumps to her feet and catches the chakram on the rebound.  She engages the man with the scimitar, while keeping one eye on Argo's would-be attacker.  The man rushes Argo and Xena whistles.  Argo spins and rears, pawing the air before she comes down, knocking the man to the ground.  Starlight reveals his face.  It's Wahed, his features contorted in anger.  He's holding his arm as if he's in pain.

WAHED

Aauuuuuuugghhhh!

He jumps up and searches around for his dagger.  He sees it and kneels down to grab it, then stands, facing Argo.

WAHED

(cont’d)

I'll teach you your last

lesson, you bloody beast!

Xena is still fighting her attacker.  She sees Wahed and flings the chakram again, embedding it in his chest just as he lunges at Argo with the dagger.

XENA

No one teaches my horse

lessons, but me!  Sheeee-ya!

She fights with renewed vigor, forcing her attacker on the defensive.  He swings around with the scimitar using both hands, and she meets it with an equal movement and knocks it from his hands by sheer force.  The scimitar clatters away and Xena jumps the man, pinning him to the ground with her sword at his throat.

XENA

(cont’d, growling)

Fajer.

FAJER

Xena.  I can explain.

XENA

I'm sure you can.

FAJER

I was coming to save

your horse from Wahed.

XENA

You were coming to

cut my head off.

He opens his mouth to speak, and Xena presses the blade closer and he closes it.

XENA

(cont’d)

I saw you and Galeel talking.

Remember?  Before

the race started.

FAJER

(choking)

Yes.  So?

Xena leans closer and draws a dagger from her belt, dragging the flat of the blade down the side of his face.

XENA

(purring)

So I can read lips.

His eyes are wide with fear and comprehension.

FAJER

It would be in your best

interest to let me go.

XENA

Yeah?  And why's that?

FAJER

You killed Wahed. Galeel handpicked

him to win this race. He won't be

happy when he hears about this.

Xena looks around.  The campground is mostly silent.  Stirring noises can be heard inside some of the tents, but no one dares to come out and intervene.

XENA

He's 800 miles away.

She drags the dagger up and down his face again.

XENA

(cont’d)

And if I kill you, who's gonna tell?

Hmmmmm?  They all heard you

just now.  Tent walls are damned thin.

Now they all know the race was

rigged.  You think any of them

are gonna care to rat on me?

VOICE FROM A TENT

I won't rat on you!

ANOTHER VOICE FROM A TENT

Me neither!

ANOTHER VOICE

(squeaking)

Don't hurt me!  I won't tell.

STILL ANOTHER VOICE

What does it mean, to rat?

Whatever it is, I won't do it!

Xena laughs evilly, then her face goes cold.  She withdraws her dagger and sword and shoves against Fajer hard then stands.

XENA

(growling)

You come within twenty yards

of me or my horse again,

I'll kill you on sight.

She turns in disgust to check Argo and hears a whooshing noise behind her.  She spins around, sword first, and runs it through Fajer as he charges her with his scimitar.  He gasps and blood dribbles from his lips.  As Xena withdraws her sword, he falls to the ground with a thud.  She studies her sword with satisfaction, then walks over to Wahed, bracing a booted foot against his chest as she tugs her chakram free.  She wipes the blood on both chakram and sword on his tunic, then gives his body a little push with her foot.

XENA

(cont’d)

Pig.

She walks over to Argo and checks her all over, petting her profusely in the process.

XENA

(cont’d)

You okay, girl?  He didn't

get to ya, did he?

Argo nuzzles her stomach, making whickering noises.

XENA

(cont’d)

We're both wide-awake.  Might

as well get started early, huh?

Argo rumbles as if in agreement.  Xena turns around and addresses all the tents.

XENA

(cont’d)

Listen up!  I'm giving you fair warning!

There's no rules about start time each

morning.  I'm packing it up and starting

my last day now.  Sun'll be up in

a couple more hours anyway.

She turns and begins saddling Argo.  The campground erupts with activity and much grumbling as the others follow suit.  Xena finishes the saddling, secures her pack and weapons, and mounts Argo.  She looks around the camp and the bustling riders, and shakes her head.  Her eyes fall last on the two dead bodies on the ground and a wicked grin appears on her face.  She spits between them, then turns Argo away from them and they ride away toward the west.  Back behind her, the faintest hint of pink sky is already seen over the eastern hills.

CUT TO:

EXT. DESERT CAMPGROUND - NIGHT - PRESENT X&G TIME

Xena and Gabrielle are still lying close together under the stars, facing each other.  Xena is looking down and keeps looking down as she starts to speak.

XENA

The thing is, Gabrielle,

I enjoyed killing them.

GABRIELLE

But you were defending

Argo.  And yourself.

XENA

But I enjoyed it.

Gabrielle reaches across and touches her face.

GABRIELLE

After all this time, you think

I haven't seen that side of

you?  Xena, look at me.

Soulful blue eyes slowly peer upward.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

It's part of who you are.

Gods, it's part of who I am

too.  I know how that feels.

Xena gasps, as if she's in pain.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Xena, it's survival.  It's part of the world

we live in.  Kill or be killed, isn't that

what it sometimes comes down to?

Xena nods slightly.

GABRIELLE

I once told you I had a warrior's

reflexes, but not a warrior's

judgment.  Remember?

With Virgil and the cannibals?

XENA

Yeah.  I remember.

GABRIELLE

But that adrenalin rush, Xena.  I know

what that feels like.  That rush when

you know you've just escaped death.

XENA

But you've never enjoyed killing.

GABRIELLE

(sighing)

No.  But sometimes in the heat of

battle, I think things get all mixed

up inside.  That rush - sometimes it's

what keeps you going, and sometimes

it feels good, you know?  But

sometimes that what it takes to survive.

XENA

But you're not a murderer.

Gabrielle touches her face again.

GABRIELLE

And neither are you.  Not even then.

Xena, since you met Hercules, have

you ever murdered anyone?  Not

killed in self-defense or killed to

protect someone else, but out

and out murdered anyone?

XENA

I... Ming....

GABRIELLE

No!  Would we have made it out

of Chin alive if he had lived?

XENA

(softly)

No.  He would've come after us.

GABRIELLE

Anyone else?  Anyone at

all you can think of?

Xena closes her eyes to think, as Gabrielle continues to cup her face.  Slowly, Xena raises a hand and covers Gabrielle's and opens her eyes.

XENA

No.  You know what I think?

GABRIELLE

What?

XENA

I think I wish I'd had a Gabrielle back then

to talk some sense into me.  Then, all I felt

for the rest of the race was the guilt.  I'd left

Greece and come all that way, only to discover

that deep down inside, I still enjoyed the kill.

It was one of my lowest moments.

GABRIELLE

I take it you finished the race?

XENA

I won it.

GABRIELLE

What?!

She looks around. 

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Not to state the obvious, but how come

we're lying here in the middle of the

desert on this blanket instead of

in your fine house somewhere?

Xena laughs.

XENA

It was pretty anti-climactic, really.

Some of the others kept challenging

us, but every time anyone caught up,

Argo would press harder.  Didn't have

to do much but hang on for the ride.

CUT TO:

EXT. TOWN OF GAZA - DAY - 36 SUMMERS AGO

Xena and Argo are running through the town with several riders right on their heels.  All along the streets a crowd cheers them on.  One rider gains on them and almost catches up with them, riding side by side.  Xena glances over at him and turns as she hears yet another one not too far behind.  He flanks her on the other side, and all three ride neck-in-neck to the edge of town.

As they pass the last building, they ride out onto a wide expanse of open beach.  Xena crouches low and laughs wildly, as the wind whips her hair back and Argo takes off, leaving the others in the dust.  She sees a bright banner and another crowd, and laughs again as they approach it and break through it.  The crowd erupts in roaring applause, and they keep riding, right up to the edge of the surf.  Xena jumps off Argo and hits the water, wading in and dunking under.  She comes back up and splashes some water on Argo's legs and body.  Argo appears to enjoy it, shaking her head up and down and urging Xena on.

A finely dressed man approaches her and she straightens up and walks out of the water to meet him, leading Argo behind her by the reins. 

MAN

I am Majeed.  Congratulations!

You've won the Ocean of Fire.

He studies Argo.

MAJEED

(cont’d)

She's not Arabian.

He sucks in a shocked breath.

MAJEED

(cont’d)

You're the one!  Galeel, he sent

word by carrier pigeon.  He

thought it was a good joke.

He smiles, and bows slightly.

MAJEED

(cont’d)

I see he was wrong.  Go with

Allah, my lady.  And always

know you've won the greatest

race in the history of man.

He hands her a large sack that jingles with a metallic sound as she accepts it.  Xena opens it and peers inside, and grins from ear to ear.

XENA

Thank you.

They clasp arms and she and Argo start to walk away. She stops and turns.

XENA

(cont’d)

Majeed, you're nothing like

your brother.  Stay that way.

Majeed tilts his head in puzzlement, as she turns and walks back toward the town, and the crowd cheers wildly behind her.

CUT TO:

EXT. DESERT CAMPSITE - NIGHT - PRESENT X&G TIME

It is the same night, same blanket, same stars.  They are still lying close together, talking.

GABRIELLE

So what happened

to the money?

XENA

First things first.  I rode out into

the desert and found another

herd of wild ponies and let Argo go.

GABRIELLE

But....

XENA

Hold on.  I'm getting to that.  I let her

go because I felt I owed it to her.  She'd

carried me all the way to the Persian

Gulf and back and made me a wealthy

woman.  The least I could do was

give her back her freedom.

GABRIELLE

That sounds fair enough. 

But....

Xena covers her mouth and laughs, then uncovers it. Gabrielle smiles at her charmingly.

XENA

Then I walked back into town.  I planned to

get a room for the night and book passage

back to Greece the next morning.  But first I

went back down to the beach where we'd won.

I wanted to get away from the crowd of the town

for a while and just think and rest.  Sure enough,

the beach was empty by then, except for one boy.

CUT TO:

EXT. BEACH - DAY - 36 SUMMERS AGO

Xena is walking along the beach barefoot, carrying her pack and boots.  Way down the beach she can see someone sitting in the edge of the surf.  She starts to turn away, when she cocks her head to the side, and we hear a sobbing noise.  She frowns and keeps walking toward him.  As she gets closer, we can see it is the same boy who was riding in the race.  He looks up and sees her and stands and starts to walk away.

XENA

Hold on.

He appears to think about it and his shoulders slump.  He waits until she catches up to him.  His face is streaked with tears.

XENA

(cont’d)

You ran in the race, didn't you?

BOY

(sniffling)

Yeah.

XENA

What's your name?

BOY

Shabab.

XENA

Where's your horse?

SHABAB

I... I sold him.

Xena sighs and looks as if she'd rather be anywhere else.

XENA

Why?  Hey, how old

are you, anyway?

SHABAB

I'm twelve summers.

I sold my horse to buy food.

And passage home.

XENA

Where's home?

SHABAB

Cairo.  My family is there.

XENA

Cairo?  Your family let a kid like

you travel all the way to Hajar alone

to ride in a thousand mile race

across the desert.  Right.

Kid, you tell a good story.

SHABAB

(defiantly)

No one let me do anything.  I ran away

two years ago.  I heard about the race

and begged my way from caravan to

caravan until I made it to Hajar.  I worked

for months in a wealthy sheik's stable.

Finally, I convinced him to partly pay me

with one of his horses.  He wasn't the finest

horse, but he was pure Arabian.  And I saved

enough money to buy a spot in the race.

Now... now everything is ruined.

He looks down and his entire body heaves with one last shudder.  Xena claps him on the shoulder, and digs into her pack, withdrawing a few gold coins from her winnings.  She hands them to him.

XENA

Listen kid.  I'm sorry you lost, but it isn't

the end of the world.  So you had a big

adventure you can tell your grandchildren

about someday.  You ran a good race.

Maybe when you've grown to be a man,

you can come back and try again. Now

quit crying and go back home to your family.

Kid your age, that's where you belong.

SHABAB

(sadly)

I will go home, but I can't

go back to my family.

XENA

Why not?

SHABAB

My family are all slaves in Cairo.  I

ran away from our master.  Runaway

slaves are punished severely.  I...

I was running the race to win, so I

could buy my family's freedom.

Xena jerks a little bit, and her hand drops from his shoulder.

XENA

The entire purse?  That's a lot of

money to buy one family.

SHABAB

I have a large family.  Brothers, sisters,

my grandparents, mother and father, my

uncles and aunts and cousins.  There's over

fifty of us, altogether.  The purse, it would

have been enough to buy all of them

and buy us a place to live somewhere.

Xena tilts his chin up and looks deeply into his eyes.

XENA

You're telling me the truth?

Shabab nods affirmatively and reaches up and slowly opens his tunic, lowering it to his waist.  He turns to show her his back.  It's crisscrossed with healed whip scars.  On one arm, he bears a tattoo marking him as a slave.  He pulls his clothing back up and closes it, turning back around to face her.  Xena can see the truth in his eyes.  Wordlessly, she opens her pack and takes out the entire sack of money, and hands it over to him.

Her voice shakes when she speaks again.

XENA

(cont’d)

Good luck with

your family, kid.

She turns and walks away down the beach, leaving a stunned Shabab to stare after her.

CUT TO:

EXT. DESERT CAMPSITE - NIGHT - PRESENT X&G TIME

It is the same night, same blanket, same stars.  They are still lying close together, talking.

Gabrielle is also stunned silent, just staring at Xena.  Pride shines in her eyes and she reaches over, taking Xena's hand and squeezing it.

GABRIELLE

You went through all of that and

gave it up, just like that.  That must

have been very hard for you to do.

XENA

(chuckling)

I was shaking like a leaf inside.  I couldn't

ever remember doing anything like that before.

Afterward, I felt so light inside.  But then night

came.  And everything weighed back down on

me as if I'd never left Greece.  I was back where

I started from.  All I had was some of the money

I'd made when I sold my horse... just enough

to buy passage back across the Mediterranean.

She flops down on her back and tucks her hands behind her head.  Gabrielle continues to lie on her side, curled up next to her with one hand on Xena's stomach.

XENA

(cont’d)

I felt like nothing had changed at all.  I

had nothing, not even a horse.  I had no

home to go back to.  I enjoyed being a

warrior, but I couldn't do that anymore.

GABRIELLE

What about Argo?

XENA

Oh, yeah.  I had to save all I had to

get home, so I ended up camping

out on the edge of town that night.

CUT TO:

EXT. EDGE OF HAJAR - NIGHT - 36 SUMMERS AGO

Xena is sitting on a boulder, poking at a campfire.  She hears a noise and quickly picks up her sword and swings around.  Argo is standing behind her, looking as sad as a horse possibly can.

XENA

Argo?

She lays down her sword, and stands, and walks over to the mare.  Argo nudges her stomach and whinnies loudly in reprimand.

XENA

(cont’d)

You wanna go to

Greece with me?

Argo nuzzles her again, making a contented rumbling noise.

XENA

(cont’d)

You're crazy, you know that?

Argo whinnies and shakes her head up and down.  Xena laughs and digs in her pack, pulling out a feedbag.

XENA

(cont’d)

Here.  I have some oats left.  We can

get you some more tomorrow for the

ride back to Greece.  You know it won't

be an easy road.  Just look what happened

the first time you followed me.

Argo gazes at her sagely and begins to munch on the oats.

CUT TO:

EXT. DESERT CAMPSITE - NIGHT - PRESENT X&G TIME

It is the same night, same blanket, same stars.  They are still lying close together, talking.

GABRIELLE

(laughing)

I know how she felt.

Xena pats Gabrielle's hand, which is still resting on her stomach.

XENA

Yeah, I guess you would.

GABRIELLE

Then what? 

You went home?

Xena remains silent for a long moment, staring up at the stars.

XENA

(slowly)

Yeah.  Went back to Greece, wandered

around for a while and wandered right

into a clearing near Potadeia.

The rest, as they say, is history.

She smiles, but there is a hint of sadness in her eyes.  Gabrielle frowns and makes a little incoherent puzzled noise.  She also rolls to her back and looks up at the stars.  She looks over at Xena and sees her swallow hard and knows Xena knows she is watching her.  Gabrielle looks back up at the stars, but her hand creeps across the blanket and finds Xena's and she laces their fingers together.  Xena swallows again and glances over at Gabrielle, who is still looking up at the sky.  Xena looks up as well.

GABRIELLE

(softly)

Xena?

XENA

Hmmm?

GABRIELLE

When we met... when you rescued us

from those slavers, your weapons were

buried.  I... I just remembered that.  Funny,

how little things come back to you.

XENA

Yeah.  Funny, that.

GABRIELLE

Xena?

Xena draws in a breath and blows it out slowly.

XENA

Yeah?

GABRIELLE

Why were your

weapons buried?

Xena rolls to her side again, still holding Gabrielle's hand.

XENA

I didn't need them anymore.

GABRIELLE

(whispering)

You were going to kill

yourself, weren't you?

Xena nods slightly.

XENA

I’d... reached the end of my rope.  I had

nothing left to live for.  I was going to ride

home and say goodbye to Mother, and leave

Argo with her.  I felt I owed Argo a good home.

GABRIELLE

What changed your mind?

XENA

(sadly)

Nothing, at first.  After I got you and your

village safely back to Potadeia, I just figured

it was silly to travel all the way to Amphipolis

without weapons.  If I was attacked, I needed

to stay alive long enough to get Argo to Amphipolis.

When I got there, Mother... there was so much

hatred in her eyes that I thought I was doing the

right thing.  Then when I heard Draco was headed

that way and tried to talk some sense into them,

well, you saw what they wanted to do.

GABRIELLE

They were going to stone you to death.

You would have let them, wouldn't you?

XENA

It would have been poetic justice, Gabrielle.

They felt I'd taken their sons’ lives.  I'd

certainly brought shame on them in the

years after Cortese.  But you... just busted

right in there and stood up for me.  No one

had ever done that.  You saved my life,

Gabrielle, three times that week.

GABRIELLE

Three times?

XENA

Once in that clearing in Potadeia, once in

Mother's tavern and later, when you showed

up at my campfire after I fought Draco.

GABRIELLE

By the campfire?

I don't understand.

XENA

After Draco left, the village elder of Amphipolis,

he offered me the loot they'd put together for

Draco and his men.  Gabrielle, he was still

afraid of me.  They... were still afraid of me.

They had every right, after all I'd done.  He

saw me as just another warlord like Draco,

and he wanted to appease me to keep me from

turning on them.  It seemed like there was no

hope for me anywhere.  If Amphipolis didn't want

me, why on earth would anyone else?  So I made

my peace with mother and went out to make camp.

I watched the sun go down that night, and I

figured it would be the last sunset I'd ever see.

GABRIELLE

You were still going to

kill yourself?  Xena....

She sits up and scoots closer, looking down at Xena.

XENA

Yeah.  And then this scruffy kid showed

up, and that... changed everything.

GABRIELLE

How?  I... Xena, all I did was barge in

and demand you take me with you.

XENA

Yes, you did.  I'd planned on going

to Tartarus next.  I could hardly take

you there with me, now could I?

GABRIELLE

N... no.

XENA

Gabrielle, what you did was believe in me.

When I didn't believe in myself.  You gave me

something to live up to.   What I decided was,

I didn't need to kill myself right away.  I'd just take

things one day at a time and see what happened.

GABRIELLE

(warily)

When did you decide

not to kill yourself?

XENA

I can't say exactly when.  Just... one day,

I looked across the fire, and I realized I'd

found that inspiration I'd been searching for.

It didn't matter so much where I went

anymore, or even what I did, as long

as you and I did it together.

Gabrielle pulls her close and kisses her softly, then hugs her tightly.

GABRIELLE

(softly)

I never knew.

XENA

You're my hero, Gabrielle.

I hope you know that by now.

Gabrielle begins to cry quietly, and Xena kisses away her tears.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT FOUR

TAG

FADE IN:

EXT. TEMPLE GARDEN - DAY - PRESENT X&G TIME

Xena and Gabrielle approach a temple, ride through the gate and dismount.  The temple grounds are green and well-cared for.  Both horses immediately drop and roll, then stand and begin munching away at the feast before them.

GABRIELLE

I sympathize with them.

XENA

You wanna get naked

and roll in the grass?

Gabrielle's eyebrows disappear beneath her bangs. Xena has a devastating smile on her face and looks Gabrielle up and down slowly from head to toe.

GABRIELLE

Hold that thought until we

find some grass that isn't

surrounding a holy place.

XENA

We could pretend we're

celebrating fertility rites.

That's a religious ceremony.

GABRIELLE

Considering we're both fertile, that

might be a dangerous prospect,

especially since we don't know what

kind of gods we're dealing with here.

Xena appears to consider this.

XENA

You have a point.  Okay, let's

finish up and get back to

Greece where the gods are...

GABRIELLE

... dead, mostly.

They climb a tall set of stone steps.

XENA

You do have it with

you, don't you?

Gabrielle pats her travel bag.

GABRIELLE

Right here handy.

They knock on a set of heavy, double cedar doors.  After waiting and knocking a few more times, they look at each other and shrug and Xena pushes the door open. 

CUT TO:

INT. TEMPLE - DAY - PRESENT X&G TIME

They step inside.  It is a large cool room with high vaulted ceilings and stone walls and floors.  The music of chimes can be heard, along with a low musical chanting sound and candles light the interior.  All across the floor are robed monks kneeling on rugs.  At the front of the room is an empty cedar altar.  Xena clears her throat and the sound echoes across the chamber.  All the men stop chanting and turn to face them.

GABRIELLE

Um, hi.

One of the monks rises, and moves to greet them, but he does not speak.  He nods graciously and gestures toward some stacked prayer rugs on a table beside the wall.

XENA

We're not here to pray.

The monk frowns and nods again.

GABRIELLE

Do you speak?

The man shakes his head negatively.

XENA

Ah. Vow of silence.

Pity more people don't....

Gabrielle glares at her in outrage.  Xena appears smug.

GABRIELLE

(to Xena)

Behave.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d, to monk)

We brought you this.

She looks down and digs in her bag, as she continues to talk.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

We thought it

might belong here.

She produces the grail and all the monks save the one standing immediately supplicate themselves before her.

MONK

You must be angels, sent

to return the holy relic.

XENA

We're no angels, trust me.

GABRIELLE

No.  We got it from a... friend,

who told us to bring it here.

She starts to hand it to him and he refuses.

MONK

Please, you have been blessed.

Go place it on the altar.  We

are not allowed to touch it.

Gabrielle glances at Xena and does as he asks, placing the grail in the center of the candle-lit table.  She returns to Xena's side.

GABRIELLE

You said you don't speak.

MONK

I am the leader of these men.  We

took a vow of silence from the day the

grail was taken from us.  Now that it

has returned, we will go through a

period of purification, after which we

all will be permitted to speak again.

GABRIELLE

I see.

XENA

We also have a couple of

horses, if you need them.

Gabrielle tugs at her sleeve and pulls her aside to whisper something in her ear.

XENA

(cont’d)

You're sure?

Gabrielle nods and smiles.

XENA

(cont’d)

All right.

XENA

(cont’d, to monk)

Make that one horse, if you want her.

MONK

We would be most grateful for the gift

of a horse.  Please.   Will you join us

for supper?  It's the least we can offer,

after you've brought back the grail.

XENA

Thanks, but we have a

ship to catch in a little while.

MONK

As you wish.  Go in peace my

children and may the love of

god bless you all your days.

GABRIELLE

Thank you.

CUT TO:

EXT. TEMPLE GARDEN - DAY - PRESENT X&G TIME

Xena and Gabrielle leave the temple and go back down the steps.

XENA

So you wanna keep 'im, huh?

GABRIELLE

I've grown kind of fond of him.

Besides, I haven't had a horse

of my own in a long time.

XENA

Fair enough.  Argo will be glad of

the relief when we're both riding.

Gabrielle mock-scowls and backhands her in the stomach.

XENA

(cont’d)

Oof.  That was uncalled for.

So what are you gonna call 'im?

GABRIELLE

I've been thinking

about that.  Jace.

XENA

Jace?  You're going to name

him after Joxer's brother?

GABRIELLE

No, silly.  After Jason, for Jason

and the Argonauts.  You know,

Jace and Argo.  Has a nice

sound to it, doesn't it?

XENA

It does.  I like it.

They say their goodbyes to the other horse, collect Jace and leave the garden.

CUT TO:

EXT. DESERT - DAY - PRESENT X&G TIME

Xena drapes an arm over Gabrielle's shoulders, as they walk across the rocky sand.

XENA

I'll be glad to introduce Jace

to my first Argo's daughter.

GABRIELLE

It's probably time she met a

little piece of her heritage.

XENA

Yeah.  That'll be nice. Looks like

we're a two-horse family again.

GABRIELLE

Shhhh.  Don't say the 'family'

word so close to the temple.

We still don't know about their

god and that fertility thing.

XENA

They're all men, Gabrielle.

It's probably safe to say fertility

isn't a big part of their worship.

GABRIELLE

True.

They both laugh.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

So, where to next? You ready

to catch that ship home?

XENA

Doesn’t matter to me, Gabrielle, as

long as you take me with you.  I’ve

been home for a very long time now.

Gabrielle appears deeply touched.  She stops and takes Xena’s hand, and twines their fingers together.  They walk on into the sunset, swinging their arms and talking.  Off in the distance, faded behind them, we see the ghost of a golden palomino mare, running free across the desert.

FADE OUT.

DISCLAIMER

No sand or sun was harmed during the making of this episode.

In the present-day, however, the surf is still missing.