Production #V715 - Episode 15

STORY BY
Suzanne Beck, TNovan & Denise Byrd

TELEPLAY BY
TNovan

DIRECTED BY
Denise Byrd

PRODUCED BY
Carol Stephens

SCREENGRABS
Judi Mair

ARTWORK
Lucia

EPISODE TITLE GRAPHIC
MaryD

TEASER

FADE IN:

EXT. WOODS - EVENING

With a loud grunt, Xena knocks the last of a half dozen thugs out with a pommel to the head, and cleans her bloody weapon on his shirt before sticking it back in its scabbard. Gabrielle sheaths her sais and looks over to Xena.

GABRIELLE
Is it a full moon or something? That's
the fifth group of bandits that's
attacked us in the past two days!

Xena finishes checking the bandit leader for any identifying badges or clothing, and then stands.
 

XENA

Common thugs.  They're probably
making their way down from the
mountains before the snows hit.

GABRIELLE
And we just keep getting in their way?

XENA
Looks like it.

GABRIELLE
Well, it's not like I'm not all for keeping
my skills up, Xena, but maybe we could
start moving away from the mountains?

Xena smiles.

XENA
Sure.  We don't really have
anywhere to be at the moment.

GABRIELLE
(thoughtfully)
You know, when you say things like that,
mysterious messengers from distant lands
have a habit of popping up unexpectedly.

Chuckling, Xena wraps her arm around Gabrielle’s shoulder as they continue down the road.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CAMP - NIGHT

Xena and Gabrielle have set up camp for the night.  The fire is banked and their bedroll is spread over the soft grass.  Gabrielle is sitting on the furs, the straps of her top hanging off of her shoulders.  Xena kneels behind her, kneading Gabrielle's shoulders with firm hands.

Gabrielle groans loudly as Xena loosens a particularly painful knot behind her shoulder blade.

XENA
Better?

GABRIELLE
Much.  Those hands of
yours are pure magic.
 

XENA

(smirking)
I have many skills.

Unseen by Xena, Gabrielle’s eyes twinkle.

GABRIELLE

Skills, huh?  Talk. Talk.  Talk.
In fact, all talk and no kissing
makes Xena of Amph…HEY!

Xena pinches Gabrielle on the bottom hard enough cause her to shoot to her feet. Then, in a lightning move, Xena scoops her into her arms and settles them both on their furs.

XENA

(sighing dramatically)

Do I have to demonstrate kissing again,
Gabrielle?  If you’d have only practiced
on people instead of goats when you
were a kid, no pun intended….

GABRIELLE

(gasping)

Goats?!

She playfully tugs on Xena’s hair, biting her lip to keep a smile off her face.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

That’s it.  No kissing for
you, Warrior Princess.

Xena is trying to kiss Gabrielle, who playfully evades her lips.

XENA

C’mon Gabrielle.  You know you want to.
BAAAAAAAAA. BAAAAAAAAAAA....

Both women burst out laughing but stop instantly when they hear a noise in the trees off to their left.  They look at one another.  Xena nods.  Gabrielle deliberately pulls the fur cover over her reclining form, and Xena slips silently into the woods.

A moment later, SIX SHABBILY DRESSED FIGURES enter the camp taking care to be as quiet as possible, which in truth isn't very quiet at all.

Three move to the left, two to the right.  The sixth heads directly for the bedroll. Crouching down, the figure touches Gabrielle's scroll case, which lies less than an inch from the furs.

Rough fingers fumble with the clasp, only to be pushed away as Gabrielle flings the fur away from her body and rolls to her feet, sais already in her hands.

Gasping, the figure stumbles backward, alerting the others, who turn and draw their own weapons: rough made spears, a stone axe and a sling. They don’t have a metal weapon between them.

The intruders freeze like statues when the night's silence is broken by the unmistakable sound of a long sword, being drawn slowly, deliberately from its sheath.

Gabrielle smiles brightly.

GABRIELLE
Now, I know what you're thinking.
There are six of you and only two of us.
But you need to ask yourself something.
(beat)
Are you really in the mood to
tangle with the Warrior Princess?

Xena rolls her eyes.

Six jaws audibly drop.

GABRIELLE
(Cont’d)
I didn't think so. If you drop your weapons,
though, I think I just might be able to
convince her to go easy on you.

Six weapons fall immediately to the ground.  Satisfied, Gabrielle lowers her sais.

GABRIELLE
(Cont’d)
Come closer to the fire.
I want to see your faces.

All fight gone from them, the six figures obediently shuffle closer to the fire.  The light displays the faces of six grimy, weary, and very young women.  Gabrielle looks over their clothing, then back up to their faces. Her eyes widen.

GABRIELLE
(Cont’d)
You're Amazons.

FADE OUT.

END TEASER

ACT ONE