ACT TWO

FADE IN:

EXT. CLEARING - DAY

Xena is with a small group of Amazons. They are drilling with weapons and Xena is watching them. She stops near one and shows her how to hold her sword with a better grip.

Gabrielle is walking with Adelia, watching from a distance as they talk.

ADELIA

She wants to help.

GABRIELLE

She always wants to help. Now if some of our

sisters will just get a clue and let her do it, a lot

of our problems will be solved. We could move

the tribe and that would be the end of it.

ADELIA

Oh, it’s not just that, My Queen. I was born this land.

I was joined on this land. My partner and I raised two

daughters here. I buried her here two years ago.

I had planned on joining her once again. So you

see there is more to it than just leaving the land.

This place is our lives and our history.

GABRIELLE

(quietly)

History.

ADELIA

My Queen?

GABRIELLE

Oh, just something someone said to me

yesterday, about the history of Queen Nicia

the one who led the Amazons to this land.

ADELIA

Ah yes, one of our greatest stories. Queen

Nicia was a very brave woman who gave up

everything so the Amazons could be free.

GABRIELLE

What do you mean?

Adelia sits on a log.

ADELIA

Hmm, I see you’ve never been told the

whole story either. Would you like to hear it?

Gabriele sits in the grass at the old woman’s feet.

GABRIELLE

Yes, please.

Adelia laughs and takes a deep breath before starting her story.

ADELIA

It was generations ago, of course... long before even

my grandmother’s grandmother. Nicia was a woman

from a well-to-do family. The story says her father was

a governor of a large providence.  She ah, apparently

fell in love with a soldier. He was a high-ranking officer

in the local army and by all accounts they were very

much in love. Just on the edge of the providence there

was a small village of women. They kept to themselves

and didn’t cause any problems. But Nicia’s father

decided that they were ‘unnatural’ and that they had

to be killed. He ordered Nicia’s young man to do it,

and being a soldier and accustomed to following

orders, he gathered his men and set off to destroy

the village. When he arrived, he found Nicia there.

She was bound and determined to defend that

village and those women. Because of his love for

her, he couldn’t follow through with his orders. He

couldn’t cut her down. She told him she would lead

the women away from the providence and he told

her that if she did that she should never return.

GABRIELLE

Why?

ADELIA

She had kept him from his duty. And she had

forced him to defy an order from her father.

GABRIELLE

Why didn’t he go with her?

ADLELIA

As the story has been related, only a few weeks

later there was an attack on the town and he along

with everyone else, was killed. Nicia stayed with

those women and they came here. They made her

queen and she led them.  But she knew they could

not remain defenseless and so she taught them the

art of being warriors. She lived a long life with them,

but never a happy one I’m afraid. They say she

knew the day he died. Being separated from

the other half of your soul will do that.

GABRIELLE

(looking at Xena)

I know.

ADELIA

Anyhow, the legend part of the story says that

Nicia and her lover will be reunited and they

together will lead the Amazons together.

GABRIELLE

You think Xena and I are….

ADELIA

I didn’t say that, I just told you what the

legend says. I’m only the storyteller here.

I don’t decide what they mean.

FADE TO:

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT

Xena is walking through the village alone. It’s late and nearly everyone is in for the night. She’s looking and listening to everything around her, trying to find a reasonable solution to the problems at hand.

A sentry stops and starts to question her, then realizes who it is and just waves to her. Xena gestures and head down toward the river, as she walks she hears several voices and stops, taking cover behind a tree to listen.

CAASI

Then we have to be prepared to do whatever

needs to be done to make sure they don’t try to

move us from our land. Xena and Gabrielle

can’t make us leave if we don’t want to.

BIDU

Gabrielle is our Queen.

RAYA

She is a Queen from a generation ago. The

Amazons have changed.  We’ve been forced

to fight for what is ours and she just doesn’t

understand that. She’s not a queen.  She’s

a drifter who drops in from time to time, forces

her ideas and beliefs on us and then leaves

us again to travel with that murderer.

BIDU

And what do you think you’re going to do

about it? You wouldn’t even challenge Xena

for the right to be Gabrielle’s champion.

RAYA

Why waste our time with Xena when there

is another way to get what we want?

BIDU

If you’re thinking of killing Gabrielle, then you

may as well just go to Xena and ask her to kill

you now, because that’s exactly what will happen.

RAYA

I’m not going to kill her; it’s not worth my time. I’ve

talked Deliz into making a challenge for the throne.

She’s our best fighter and she’ll tear Gabrielle apart.

Once Deliz is queen then we can do what we want.

(beat)

Including making Xena pay for

her crimes against the nation.

CAASI

Are you sure Deliz can beat Gabrielle?

RAYA

I’m positive.

XENA

(to herself)

Will they never learn?

From her place behind the tree, Xena just hangs her head and sighs before walking back to the village.

CUT TO:

INT. HUT - NIGHT

Xena slips into the hut and quietly closes the door. She looks over to the sleeping area where Gabrielle is already in bed.  Taking a seat on a bench she starts to unlace her boots.

Gabrielle rolls over and watches for a minute, before sitting up.

GABRIELLE

Trouble sleeping?

XENA

Well you know, too many nights under a

real roof and in a soft bed and I get buggy.

GABRIELLE

What’s wrong?

XENA

They’re forming an alliance to challenge you.

They have someone they want to challenge you.

GABRIELLE

Who?

XENA

Someone named Deliz.

GABRIELLE

I don’t know her. I haven’t met her.

XENA

She may be a member of one of the

tribes that has been pushed this

way because of the encroachment.

Gabrielle falls back in bed and stares at the ceiling.

GABRIELLE

Oh, well, that’s just wonderful news.

Thanks.

Xena drops her boots and gets up, moving to the bed. She sits on the edge and takes Gabrielle’s hand.

XENA

You can handle it.

GABRIELLE

I know I can handle it. I’m just not wild about

having to fight a sister over this matter.

XENA

If it comes to that Gabrielle, you can’t pull

any punches. You have to fight to win.

The future of the Amazons depends on it.

GABRIELLE

You know what really stinks?

XENA

What?

GABRIELLE

Even if they challenge me and I win,

they still won’t want to leave.

XENA

We’ll cross that bridge

when we come to it.

Gabrielle sits up and looks off into the distance, pointing.

GABRIELLE

Oh look! What’s that? A bridge.

Xena laughs and hugs Gabrielle close.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

And it’s probably one of those crappy

rope ones with the boards missing.

CUT TO:

EXT. VILLAGE - DAY

It looks like all the Amazons that remain with the tribe are in the center of the village. They’re all milling around, obviously waiting for something or someone. There are many conversations going on some are calm and others carry angry tones and overall the entire atmosphere is highly charged and close to explosive.

Xena wanders casually into the crowd, listening and watching and looking for anyone who might be Deliz. She’s paying special attention to the group that Raya has around her. She knows they are the core of the problem she and Gabrielle face in getting the Amazons to move.

Gabrielle comes into the square.  She is dressed in full Amazon regalia. She looks to Xena who smiles and gives a little wave. Gabrielle smiles and takes a step up on a platform. She waits until everyone quiets down and all eyes are on her.

GABRIELLE

Now is the time for us to address the issue of

this land.  We must face the fact that as people

explore and cities expand, they will come in this

direction. You are not safe here any longer.

Xena and I can take you some place safe.

A new land where you can live your lives….

RAYA

Some of us don’t want to leave our land.

Gabrielle slowly turns to face her.

GABRIELLE

You would rather fight and die here? You will die.

The people moving toward this land will out

number you. They will either kill you or take

you prisoner and sell you as slaves.

RAYA

Like many others who came before us.

Raya turns to Xena

RAYA

(Cont’d)

It wouldn’t be any worse than the decimation

that you brought to our people.

She turns back to Gabrielle.

RAYA

(Cont’d)

We won’t follow you and we

certainly won’t follow Xena.

GABRIELLE

Then I think….

RAYA

We don’t care what you think. We issue a

challenge to you, Gabrielle. Defend your

rights to be Queen of the Amazons.

GABRIELLE

You really don’t want to do that.

RAYA

Won’t you fight? Will you have your

lap dog fight for you, because

you know that you’ll lose?

Gabrielle is clearly angry at the insult to Xena and stands up very straight, staring Raya right in the eye.

GABRIELLE

Pick your champion! As the challenged,

I have the right to say when and what

weapons. It will be this evening

and the weapon will be staffs.

RAYA

(smiling and nodding)

This evening it is.

CUT TO:

INT. HUT - DAY

Gabrielle is sitting at a table with her head down in her arms when Xena comes in. Without a word, Xena moves behind her and rubs her shoulders.

XENA

You should be resting.

GABRIELLE

I should be, but I can’t.

She sits up and turns to face Xena.

GABRIELLE

Tell me why, just for once, can’t something

be simple?  What’s wrong with us saying...

”You’re in big trouble here and we need to

get you to safety.” And them have them say,

“Well, gee Gabrielle that sounds like a dandy plan.” 

Why can’t it happen that way just once?

Xena is trying hard not to laugh.

XENA

Because we’d get bored. Now

come on. You need to rest.

Xena pulls Gabrielle to her feet and guides her to the bed. She seats her, and then kneels down to unlace her boots. Gabrielle smiles and runs her fingers through Xena’s hair.

GABRIELLE

Thank you for letting me whine.

XENA

No problem. I’m a good lap dog.

GABRIELLE

Oh please. You have no idea how

hard it was for me not to go down

there and smack her for that.

XENA

It’s okay.  I tripped her on her

way out of the village.

Gabrielle lays back on the bed.

GABRIELLE

You did not.

XENA

Okay I didn’t, but I thought about it.

Xena picks Gabrielle’s legs up and turns her into the bed, then tosses a blanket over her.

GABRIELLE

You only thought about tripping her?

You’re getting soft in your old age.

Normally you would have thought

about hanging her naked and

dripping with honey over an anthill.

XENA

(a brow rises)

Dripping honey? You need a nap.

Get some sleep.  I’ll come get

you in a couple of hours.

Xena leans over and kisses her on the forehead.

XENA

(Cont’d)

I love you.

FADE OUT.

END ACT TWO

ACT THREE