ACT ONE

FADE IN:

ext. town square - day

The bright, warm sun is a welcome guest as Xena and Gabrielle step out of the dark wood and into a mid-sized, thriving TOWN.  TOWNSPEOPLE greet their sudden appearance with smiles and nods of welcome.

gabrielle

(pleased)

Now, this is more like it!

Xena surveys the town with a professional air, finds it acceptable, and lays a hand on Gabrielle’s shoulder. She guides her lover in the direction of the BLACKSMITH.

The smith is a large, beefy man with huge arms, a barrel chest, and a large, sloping belly that rounds out the leather of his long, stained apron.  The anvil and tongs he holds look tiny in his blackened hands, but his smile is warm and welcoming as he notices the two women approach.

He lays down his tools and steps outside his forge to greet them, wiping his massive hands on his apron.

blacksmith

Welcome!  Welcome!  How can I help you?

xena

I need shoes for my horse.

blacksmith

You’ve come to the right place, then.
Let’s just see what we have here.

He approaches Argo, then backs off a step as she snorts and dances out of his way.

blacksmith

(Cont'd)
Feisty one, isn’t she?

xena

She’s a warhorse.

blacksmith

That would explain it, yes.

(beat)

May I?

Xena gently urges Argo’s face toward hers.

xena

Play nice.

Argo’s expression is almost human in its annoyed resignation, and she nods once and blows air from her nostrils into Xena’s face.

Gabrielle covers a grin behind her hand.  Xena sighs.

xena

(to blacksmith)

Go ahead.

The smith steps in and gently examines Argo’s hooves, then steps back, wiping his hands again.

blacksmith

It’s your nails.  Crumbling away
to dust, the lot of ‘em.

(beat)

Two dinars and I’ll fix her up right.
Best nails this side of Thrace.

gabrielle

Yeah, but how are the shoes?

blacksmith

(grinning)

Best anywhere.

Xena and Gabrielle exchange a glance.

xena

You’re on.

blacksmith

Wonderful!

He walks back to his forge, then turns, smiling.

blacksmith

(Cont’d)

This is gonna take awhile.  If you haven’t eaten
yet, give Spiros’ Inn a try.  He serves a great
lamb stew, and his ale is the nectar of the gods.

Xena looks to Gabrielle, who grins.

gabrielle

A meal I don’t have to cook?

I’m already there.

cut to:

int. spiros’ Inn - day

The INN is clean, well kept, and almost full.  Spirited chatter between the diners comes to an abrupt halt as the door opens and Xena and Gabrielle enter.  It then resumes, a touch more softly than before.

Xena spies an empty table in the far corner, and heads for it, Gabrielle slightly behind.

As they sit, the door to the kitchen area opens and a short, stocky MAN appears.  He is middle-aged, with a weathered, expressive face, and a withered arm ensconced in a sling resting against his chest. He is SPIROS, the owner of the Inn.

His dark eyes scan the interior of the inn, then widen as he spots his two newest guests.  His jaw drops.

spiros

(softly)

By all the gods on Mount Olympus.

Xena hears this and looks up.  Their eyes meet, and a stupefied grin crosses Spiros’ face.

spiros

(Cont'd)
Xena?

Xena nods, and smiles slightly.

xena

Spiros.

Spiros crosses the room to stand beside the table, shaking his head in amazement.

spiros

It’s really you.  I can’t believe it.
They… they said you were dead!

Xena stands and grasps Spiros’ proffered arm.

xena

It’s a long story.

spiros

And an exciting one, I’d wager.

Releasing Xena’s hand, he steps back and appraises her from head to toe and back again, his smile growing.

spiros

(Cont’d)

By the gods, look at you!  You’re even more
beautiful now than when I last saw you!

Sensing Xena’s discomfort with the adoration in his voice, he looks away, and sees Gabrielle sitting patiently, a slightly bewildered expression on her face.  His smile reappears.

spiros

(Cont’d)

And you…you must be Gabrielle.

Gabrielle returns his smile and stands, taking his hand.

gabrielle

I am.  It’s very nice to meet you.

spiros

And an honor to meet you.  Your tales
have kept me company on many a night.

Gabrielle blushes faintly.

gabrielle

Thank you.

spiros

You’re very welcome.

Very welcome indeed.

He pauses as he turns back to Xena.

SPIROS

(Cont’d)

What brings you here?

xena

My horse is getting shod.

spiros

Ah.  You’ll be here awhile, then.
Our smith is a master at his craft, but
slower than a frozen river at Solstice.

(beat)

And look at me, prattling on as if I have
nothing better to do with my time.  Please,
sit and be comfortable.  I’ve made lamb
stew today, and if I remember right, it
used to be a favorite of yours.

xena

(smiling)

It still is.

spiros

Perfect!  I’ll be right back with your food,
then, and some ale to wash it down.

Xena and Gabrielle watch as he bustles away.  Gabrielle turns to Xena.

gabrielle

Old friend?

xena

He was a cook in my army.  A long time ago.
The only one I ever trusted not to poison me.

Her eyes grow distant as she remembers.

xena

(Cont’d)

He was just a kid when he came to me.
He’d run away from home.
“Looking for adventure”, he said.

gabrielle

You seem to collect those.

xena

(smirking)

Can’t seem to get rid of ‘em either.

Gabrielle laughs.

Further conversation is halted as Spiros returns, balancing a tray laden with food and drink in his one good arm.  He sets the tray down and serves each woman deftly, then smiling, bows and leaves them to their meal.

The food and drink, both as good as promised, are consumed without much conversation.

Finishing the last of her ale, Xena rises with her mug and cocks her eyebrow at Gabrielle.

Gabrielle smiles and holds up her mug.

gabrielle

Please.

Xena nods and retreats to the large bar against the far wall, slipping among the throng of thirsty customers.

Spiros enters from the kitchen and approaches Gabrielle, intending to clear the table.  He smiles as he watches Gabrielle watch Xena, easily seeing the look of adoration in her eyes.

spiros

She saved my life, you know.

Caught unaware, Gabrielle starts, and turns to face Spiros.

gabrielle

Excuse me?

spiros

Xena. She saved my life.
It was a long time ago, but
I’ve never forgotten.

gabrielle

(interestedly)

How did she save your life?

spiros

I suppose she told you I
was a cook in her army?

gabrielle

Yes, and that you were very
young and out for adventure.

Spiros laughs.

spiros

Very young and very foolish.

Full of big talk and bigger dreams.

Gods…I can’t believe I was ever that naïve.

gabrielle

(chagrined)

Join the club.

spiros

That’s right.  You followed the
Warrior Princess as well, didn’t you?

gabrielle

Best thing I ever did.

spiros

I thought so too, at the time. My father was a tavernkeeper,

much like I am now, in a tiny town.  I was bored, so I left.

I blundered into Xena’s winter camp and almost got myself

killed. Lucky for me, however, Xena had just dispatched her

last cook. She caught him trying to slip hemlock into her ale.

gabrielle

(wincing)

Ooh.

spiros

Exactly.  Well, I’d been cooking since I was old enough to

walk, so I volunteered my services, and she took me up on it.

(smiling, remembering)

It was hard work, cooking for that army, but it was
also exhilarating, somehow. Xena was so….

Sprios blushes and clears his throat.

Spiros

(Cont’d)

At any rate, spring came, and
that’s when she saved my life.

gabrielle

What did she do?

Spiros

She sent me home.

Gabrielle and Spiros look up to find Xena approaching, a small frown on her face.  Gabrielle recognizes the look as one of annoyance, and she smiles sheepishly, knowing she’s been caught out.

Spiros clears his throat again, quickly gathers up the dirty dishes, and retreats back into the kitchen, not wanting to be on the wrong end of Xena’s temper.

Xena sits and slides Gabrielle’s mug across the table.

xena

Talking about me again, were you?

gabrielle

My favorite subject.

xena

Mm.

They drink in companionable silence for a moment before Xena notices Gabrielle watching her.  The frown reappears on her face.

xena

(Cont'd)
What?

gabrielle

(smiling)

Spiros was telling me how you
saved his life by sending him home.

(beat)

No matter how bad you think you were
back then, Xena, you always did have
a good heart underneath it all.

xena

(very softly, warningly)

Gabrielle….

gabrielle

It’s true, Xena.
You saw the look in Spiros’ eyes.
He adores you... the you he knew back then.

Xena’s frown grows more pronounced, and her eyes grow cool.

xena

I was far worse than you could ever imagine, Gabrielle.
Don’t mistake my actions for kindness.

gabrielle

But....

Xena puts her mug down on the table and braces her hands against the tabletop.

xena

Spiros was of no use to me beyond his cooking skills.
He was a boy with a withered arm. Believe me, if I
thought he had any chance at all of being useful to me
in a fight, I’d have kept him with me and he’d be so
many moldering bones on a battlefield somewhere.

She stands, slowly, hands still braced against the table.

xena

(Cont’d)

There was nothing at all good about me then, Gabrielle.
Don’t try and pretend there was.
You’re not fooling either of us.

Without another word, she turns and stalks from the tavern, leaving a bewildered Gabrielle still seated at the table, mug of ale in hand.

dissolve to:

ext. town square - afternoon

Xena strides through the center of town, her expression stormy and foreboding.  Her fists are clenched at her sides, her jaw tense and set.  People glance at her, then look quickly away.  The blacksmith waves from his place at the forge, pounding out Argo’s shoes with expert hands.

The inn door opens, and Gabrielle steps outside.  She spots Xena immediately, and walks quickly to catch up to her.

gabrielle

Xena!

Xena gives no appearance of hearing Gabrielle’s hail, and continues to head for the edge of town.

Cursing under her breath, Gabrielle increases her pace, catching up to Xena just past the MERCHANT STALLS.

gabrielle

(Cont'd)
Xena, please.

Xena stops, but doesn’t turn, obviously trying to bring her anger under control.

gabrielle

(Cont’d)

I’m sorry for upsetting you. I didn’t mean....

Xena’s expression softens, and she turns her head to meet Gabrielle’s gaze.

xena

It’s all right.

I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.

gabrielle

And I should know better than to

tease you about your past.

(beat)

Let’s take a walk.

I need to work that delicious lunch off.

Xena looks around at the thriving merchant area.

xena

You could burn it off bargain hunting.

Gabrielle grins.

gabrielle

I could, but I’d rather be with you.

(beat)

How about exploring that
old temple we passed?

Xena looks surprised.

gabrielle

(Cont'd)
I know. I know. But we never could
resist a good mystery. C’mon.

cut to:

ext. abandoned temple - afternoon

Xena and Gabrielle explore the denuded area surrounding the abandoned temple.  They find very little aside from the obvious, and Xena moves to explore the interior as Gabrielle makes her way around the back of the crumbling structure.

gabrielle

Be careful.

xena

(preoccupied)

Yes, dear.

Gabrielle shakes her head and continues to the rear of the temple.

A sense of something she can’t define comes over her, lifting the hairs at the back of her neck.  Her head comes up just as a flash of brilliant red light illuminates the temple’s interior. A loud, thunder-like boom accompanies the appearance of the light, and the ground around the temple begins to shake so strongly that Gabrielle is driven to her knees. The shaking seems to go on for an eternity, but then it and the light disappear as quickly as they appeared, and absolute silence falls over the area.

Gabrielle struggles to her feet, face white with shock.

gabrielle

Xena?
(silence reigns)

XENA!!!

fade out.

END OF ACT 1

ACT TWO