| Episode Guide | Teaser | Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 | Act 4 |
|
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
EXT. CAMP - DAY
The gear is packed and everyone is standing off to the side while Xena and Gabrielle have a private chat. They watch as both women laugh and then clasp hands in what appears to be friendly challenge. The girls share nervous glances when Xena and Gabrielle approach them.
XENA Esme you’re with me.
She waits for a moment and when the girl doesn’t move, she snaps her fingers and points at the spot next to her, which Esme fills very quickly.
GABRIELLE Dori, you’re with me.
The girl scurries over to stand next to Gabrielle.
XENA Patia.
The other girls watch as she scoots over to Xena and Esme. Gabrielle watches as Jinx’s shoulders slump. It’s clear she’s been through this before and has never been chosen.
GABRIELLE Jinx, you come with me.
Jinx brightens considerable and nearly jumps for joy as she joins Gabrielle.
JINX I promise to do my best, My Queen.
GABRIELLE I know.
XENA Shiri.
GABRIELLE Nesha, come with us.
Both girls join their new teams and wait.
XENA
All right this is very
simple.
She gestures to Gabrielle and her group.
XENA (Cont’d)
… are the enemy. As we go
back to
GABRIELLE And survival.
She winks at Xena and smiles. It’s clear which set of skills each woman prefers to teach.
GABRIELLE
Think of what we’re doing
as war games.
There are small groans from the group at the mention of their tasks.
XENA
Look, learning this stuff
GABRIELLE Xena’s right. Part of the reason we’re doing it as a friendly competition is so that you won’t learn each task individually as though it was a chore and that you’ll come together as a team. You will learn to work together, to think and plan what you’re going to do.
XENA All right, let’s move out.
She waits; they stand still looking at her and then to the ground.
XENA What’s wrong?
ESME We don’t know the way.
Jinx fidgets for a minute, and then tugs on Gabrielle’s arm. Gabrielle leans over and Jinx whispers something in her ear. Gabrielle looks at Xena and smiles.
GABRIELLE Come on then.
Xena watches with lifted brows as Gabrielle takes her team and walks into the woods. Then she turns to her own charges.
XENA Let’s go.
ESME Where?
XENA Home.
ESME And we’re going to follow them? Jinx got us lost, remember?
XENA Are you sure? Are you sure it wasn’t that enormous ego of yours?
Xena looks back to the forest. Gabrielle and her girls are already out of sight.
XENA Oh, boy. C’mon.
She starts into the forest with her girls behind her.
CUT TO:
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Gabrielle stops on the trail and looks into the sky. She then looks at three eager, but somewhat tired faces.
GABRIELLE Time for a break?
DORI Yes, please.
GABRIELLE Okay. Sorry. I shouldn’t have forgotten that. Xena and I have been on the road forever, I’m used to it now, but when we first began traveling together I thought my legs were going to fall right off.
Her words are met by three smiles.
NESHA Food?
GABRIELLE (gesturing around them) If you can find it, you can eat it.
The girls look confused and bewildered. Gabrielle sighs and drops her gear.
GABRIELLE (Cont’d) Roots, berries, nuts? All acceptable foods.
She glances around to find a bush with bright yellow flowers.
GABRIELLE Pull that bush up. You’ll find it has very meaty roots that are kind of like carrots.
Nesha gazes at the bush and sighs, obviously reluctant to pull it up because of its beautiful flowers.
Gabrielle smiles. (Cont’d) I’m glad to see that there are some Amazons who can stop and savor the majesty of Gaia’s beauty. Everything isn’t about war and violence.
Nesha sighs, still gazing at the bush and doesn’t move. A few seconds pass and Nesha still hasn’t move. Gabrielle and the other Amazons grow restless. Gabrielle tears the bush from the ground, grunting from the effort.
GABRIELLE (Cont’d) Just don’t savor it too long, all right?
Nobody appreciates a
fanatic. Trust me on this one.
She pulls one up, wipes it off, and looks at it. It’s very clear that she’s not accustomed to eating this way very often any longer, but she forges ahead and bites into it. Forcing a smile onto her face, she swallows hard.
GABRIELLE Mmm. See? Great stuff.
The girls nod and start digging for their own. Gabrielle turns and quickly spits hers out.
CUT TO:
EXT. WOODS – DAY
Xena is following her three, who are all walking abreast. Each is holding a small pointed stone, a long sturdy stick and a piece of thin vine. They are with some degrees of success making new spears.
ESME (presenting hers) How’s this?
Xena takes the spear looks it over, then vigorously shakes it, causing it to fall apart.
XENA Wrong. But keep trying.
Patia, wordlessly hands hers over for inspection. Xena looks at it, shakes it and it stays together. Then she throws it and it breaks apart as soon as it hits the tree.
XENA Better, but still not right.
Next comes Shiri who hands hers over, not expecting much luck. Xena examines it, hefts it, checking its balance and then throws it. It holds together, sticking out of the ground and the girls run over.
XENA Good job.
SHIRI Hey! You got a rabbit too.
XENA That sounds like lunch to me.
CUT TO:
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Gabrielle smiles as her three are now actually identifying some different plants. Seems that they weren’t sent out completely unprepared, just obviously not ready. And no doubt scared to death once they became lost.
GABRIELLE So girls, tell me what’s going on in the nation that you are out here like this. None of you can be more than 14 years old.
JINX Just having troubles keeping our own boarders intact, My Queen. Everyday they are challenged and we need more people. That’s why....
GABRIELLE That’s why you were sent out. I got it.
Gabrielle takes two water skins from her shoulder and tosses them to the girls.
GABRIELLE Go fill those. Be careful and wait for me right here. I’ll be right back.
They nod and head for the creek. Gabrielle turns, looks into the trees and then runs and jumps up onto one of the limbs. She climbs just a little further up into the tree until she sees the object of her desire. She places her fingers at the edge of her lips and lets loose with a birdcall that Xena will recognize comes from her. She listens for a moment as Xena tells the Amazon girls to fashion more weapons and, with firm instructions, makes it clear they are not move an inch from that spot. Then Xena disappears into the woods.
A moment later Xena is hanging upside down from the branch above Gabrielle, swaying gently.
XENA You called? The Red Bellied Sapsucker, I believe.
GABRIELLE Cute. How are they doing?
XENA We’re not dead yet, so I guess we’re doing okay.
GABRIELLE (gesturing) Isn’t all the blood rushing to your brain?
XENA Nah, I’m okay.
Gabrielle’s nose crinkles as she smiles.
GABRIELLE You’re loving every minute of this, aren’t you?
XENA Of course not. This is torture.
GABRIELLE Uh huh. You can’t fool me.
XENA Okay, I admit it. It’s the getting to use the strategy I love, without the violence so often attached to it. What’s not to love?
Gabrielle smiles at Xena’s unexpected enthusiasm.
XENA What can I do for you? You surrendering already?
GABRIELLE Dream on. I did find out something I wanted to tell you. Seems the Amazons are having trouble controlling their boarders. That’s why they’re sending out initiates who are so young. My guess is they need the warriors.
XENA (eyebrow raised) Why am I not surprised?
GABRIELLE Can you find out more from your three so we’ll know what we’re walking into?
XENA Consider it done. (beat) Okay, I gotta get back. Meet us at that flat rock formation I told you about tomorrow at noon and we’ll kick this competition up a notch. Bring three items to share.
GABRIELLE (with a twinkle in her eyes) A pot luck? Xena, my how you’ve changed.
XENA (raising an eyebrow) Watch it, bard. You just have your girls make three things that they’ll trade for three things from my group. You’ll have to wait to find out the rest of what I have in mind.
She gives Gabrielle a saucy smirk and disappears from sight.
Gabrielle rolls her eyes and grins before descending back to the ground.
CUT TO:
EXT. XENA’S CAMP - NIGHT
The small group has managed to make decent progress back toward Amazon territory. Xena seems pleased as she watches them work with the items she has given them. Esme is fashioning slingshots, Patia is smashing red berries in a bowl and Shiri is cutting up what appears to be the stomach lining of that rabbit they had for lunch.
ESME And this is going to help us beat the Queen and the others?
XENA That’s the plan. Of course, we’ll have to work as a team. The Queen can be quite crafty when she wants to be.
SHIRI Sure, but you must know her tricks.
XENA True, but remember, she knows mine too.
PATIA All of them?
XENA
All of them. We’re
partners. But that each other occasionally.
Xena gives them an evil little grin and they all smile back.
CUT TO:
EXT. GABRIELLE’S CAMP – NIGHT
Gabrielle is leaning between Jinx and Dori and gesturing at something they’re doing.
GABRIELLE Make that tie tighter or the feathers will fall away from the leaves and if that happens your cover won’t be any good.
NESHA And using this we’ll be able to keep them from seeing us?
GABRIELLE That’s the idea. I’m sure it will work on your sisters, but there’s just no way to hide from Xena if she really wants to find us.
DORI We’re doomed.
GABRIELLE (chuckling) Not necessarily. I may have a few tricks up my sleeve that Xena might not see coming.
JINX That’d be great if you had sleeves.
Gabrielle gives her a playful thump to the back of the head.
GABRIELLE Just keep working.
CUT TO:
EXT. CLEARING – DAY
Both teams approach a large flat rock from opposite directions. Xena and Gabrielle are both grinning at each other. The girls are trying to look fierce and intimidate each other.
XENA Care to surrender now?
GABRIELLE (grinning) Sure. After you do.
Gabrielle gestures to Nesha who places three sets of camouflage on the rock.
GABRIELLE (Cont’d) We held up our part of the bargain.
XENA So did we.
Xena motions and Esme places three slingshots and a large bowl of bright green balls on the rock. Gabrielle steps forward and picks up one of the green items and hold it up.
GABRIELLE What is this?
XENA Ammunition.
GABRIELLE You’re kidding.
XENA Look, we can’t let them play with real weapons or they’ll kill each other and probably hurt us. So I came up with this solution. Those are small bits of bladder and intestine filled with crushed leaves and a bit of water. We’re using the same thing only made of red berries. So when we target you and shoot you, we will mark you in red and you’ll know you’ve been hit.
GABRIELLE And when we hit you, you’re marked in green.
XENA (smirking) When you try to hit us.
Gabrielle taps her chin with one finger.
GABRIELLE We’ll see.
FADE OUT.
END ACT TWO
|
|||||
