ACT THREE

FADE IN:

EXT. VILLAGE - EVENING

A combat ring has been created. Amazons surround it, waiting for the combatants. Adelia stands with two other older Amazons.  She sighs and shakes her head.

ADELIA

This makes no sense, any of it. Xena knows

there is another way to deal with this.

STELLISE

Maybe she doesn’t want to handle it

that way. It’s possible she believes this

challenge will be the end of it.

MARIAH

And the Queen is certainly

a capable fighter.

ADELIA

(quietly)

Maybe.

Adelia watches, as from across the ring Xena ducks under the ropes and steps inside the ring just as the drums announce the arrival of Gabrielle.

Gabrielle is dressed in combat leathers. She moves into the ring and her second tosses her the staff she will be using. She smiles at Xena and twirls it before delivering several practice blows, which Xena blocks with absolutely no effort. Then Xena delivers a series of punches and kicks that Gabrielle fends off with the staff.

It’s an effective little warm up for Gabrielle, and she seems content with her performance. Xena moves forward and before she can say anything to Gabrielle her eyes go wide when she gets a look at Deliz.

GABRIELLE

What?

Without a word and without taking her eyes from the Amazon, she turns Gabrielle by the shoulders. Gabrielle’s eyes widen as well when she sees a woman who must be close to seven feet tall.

XENA

She gives new meaning to the word Amazon.

GABRIELLE

I think I met her father once. I offered

him your legs as drumsticks.

XENA

What?

GABRIELLE

I’ll tell you later.

She looks at Deliz again.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

If I live to tell ya.

XENA

You’ll be fine.

GABRIELLE

I hope so.

The drums start up again and Xena steps out of the ring as does Raya and the others who had accompanied Deliz.

Gabrielle and Deliz face off. Gabrielle smiles. Deliz snarls.

GABRIELLE

Oh, wonderful.

The drums stop. The signal for combat to begin is given. Gabrielle watches Deliz carefully as they circle each other. She realizes the woman is big and strong, but that she moves rather slowly.

Deliz makes the first strike, which Gabrielle blocks just before it connects with her head with what would have been skull-shattering force. Gabrielle holds Deliz’s staff at bay with the end of her staff while using the other end to deliver a blow to the tall Amazon’s ribs.

Deliz looks down and seems about as fazed as if a mosquito has just bitten her. She withdrawals her staff and twirls it.  Gabrielle glances to Xena, who just shrugs.

Gabrielle adjusts her grip on her staff, making it two handed, holding the staff lengthwise in front of her body.  She delivers a series of blows to Deliz’s ribs, using each end of the staff to do it quickly. It has some effect, and Deliz staggers backward just a bit.

Deliz uses her staff and her longer reach to tangle Gabrielle’s legs, effectively sweeping them out from under her and dropping her to her back.

Xena flinches when she sees Gabrielle go down, and fights the urge to enter the ring. Gabrielle lays stunned for a moment, coughs and then rolls away just before Deliz delivers a blow with the end of the staff. It hits the ground one a split second after Gabrielle’s head is gone from the spot.

As Gabrielle rolls to get up she realizes her knee has been hurt and it’s hard to put weight on it. She curses under her breath as she fights off the pain and stands on both feet.  Xena can tell Gabrielle is hurt and is becoming more jittery by the second.

Raya and the other Amazons begin smiling and passing money back and forth between them, clearly believing that Delia’s victory is short at hand.

Gabrielle uses her staff to push herself off the ground, in a vaulting maneuver to kick Deliz in the chest with her good foot. The tall Amazon stumbles backward and as Gabrielle hits the ground, keeping her weight off her injured knee she uses her staff to sweep Deliz’s feet out from under her. She falls backward, hitting the ground hard; Gabrielle turns her staff over end in her hands and hits her opponent in the ribs.

Deliz’s staff falls from her hands and Gabrielle kicks it away, and then places her staff in Deliz’s throat.

GABRIELLE

It’s over. Don’t make me kill

you, because I will if I have to.

Deliz looks to Gabrielle, obviously stunned and in pain and slowly nods.

DELIZ

I submit to you... My Queen.

Gabrielle breathes a sigh of relief and backs off, using her staff to balance herself. Xena rushes into the ring and helps Gabrielle by placing her arm around her neck.

XENA

You okay?

GABRIELLE

I think my knee is really messed up.

She smiles at Xena.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

Nothing you can’t fix, I’m sure.

Xena helps Gabrielle out of the ring as Deliz pushes to her feet, holding her ribs. There is no one to help her. Raya and the others have left her to her own devices with her defeat. Adelia and some of the older Amazons assist her as Xena and Gabrielle leave the ring for their hut.

CUT TO:

INT. HUT - EVENING

Gabrielle is seated.  Her leg up in Xena’s lap as her partner slowly and carefully unlaces her boot and pulls it off. Gabrielle looks down to her knee, which is swollen, and turning the most amazing shade of black and blue.

GABRIELLE

At least it has the decency to look mangled.

Xena tenderly touches the swollen joint. Gabrielle grimaces and grips the arms of her chair, sucking in a sharp breath.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

It has the decency to hurt like Tartarus too.

XENA

It’s out of place. I need to pop

it back in. Think you can handle it?

GABRIELLE

Not like I have a lot of choice.

Xena reaches up and uses pressure points in Gabrielle’s thigh to help control the pain.

XENA

You may still feel a little something,

but it won’t be as bad now.

GABRIELLE

Okay, it already feels better. How about we

just leave it that way and leave me numbed?

XENA

Gabrielle....

Gabrielle grips the chair.

GABRIELLE
Just get it over with.

Xena rubs her hands together quickly, warming them. Then she lays them on Gabrielle’s knee. They look at each other and Xena grasped the knee and pulls and twists just a bit. Gabrielle sucks in another quick breath and then lets her head drop.

GABRIELLE

I hate that.

XENA

I know. I need to wrap it for you.

Xena releases the pressure points and then gets up to find something to wrap Gabrielle’s knee with. Finding what she needs, she returns and gently begins wrapping the joint.

XENA

You did very well out there.

GABRIELLE

I hope I didn’t hurt her too badly.

XENA

I think she’s probably got a couple broken

ribs, but she’ll be okay. Good strategy,

working on her ribs like that.

GABRIELLE

I knew I had to pick a spot and go

with it. If I just hit her randomly,

she would have killed me.

Xena finishes wrapping the knee and gently pats Gabrielle’s leg.

XENA

I never would have let that happen.

GABRIELLE

I know.

CUT TO:

EXT. VILLAGE - NIGHT

Xena and Gabrielle walk into the center of the village where, once again all the women are gathered.  Gabrielle is walking on her own and not limping too badly. She goes back to the platform and climbs up on it.

GABRIELLE

I have completed your challenge and beaten

your opponent. Is there anyone else who

wants to challenge my right to be queen?

The entire group remains silent. Having seen Gabrielle beat the biggest Amazon in the tribe is more than enough for them.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

Good, I’m glad we got that cleared up. Now, we need

to make plans to move this tribe to safety. I know I can

lead you, but you must understand that Xena has the

knowledge and the skills required to move a large

group. She knows how to command and I need

her help to get this tribe someplace safe.

ADELIA

My Queen, please forgive me, but I

think the biggest issue with our

sisters is that Xena is not Amazon.

GABRIELLE

Of course she is.

RAYA

No, she isn’t.

Gabrielle sighs and looks to Xena.

GABRIELLE

Then we should induct her into the tribe.

We can make her an Amazon. Xena

will go through the rites and....

RAYA

Why do you insist on this? You know

her crimes against the tribe keep

us from accepting her.

GABRIELLE

You talk about history and her crimes,

but what about the history of all of the

times that Xena has assisted the nation?

If you remember your history, you know she

made peace between the Centaurs and the

Amazons. Doesn’t that count for anything?

RAYA

Not to all of us.

GABRIELLE

So, you will all follow me, but some of you

will not follow me if Xena is with us, helping

us move? And your argument is that Xena

is not Amazon? I have to tell you all I

think that is the stupidest thing....

ADELIA

My Queen, there is another way.

Xena gives Adelia a dirty look and jumps up on the platform with Gabrielle.

XENA

No! No there’s not!

Gabrielle looks to Xena, clearly very confused, then to Adelia who has a frustrated look on her face.

GABRIELLE

Adelia, what’s the other way?

XENA

(warningly)

Adelia....

ADELIA

I’m sorry, Xena. She has the right to know.

You and Xena could be joined.

The entire crowd gasps, Xena groans and Gabrielle looks like a deer trapped by a bright like as we....

FADE OUT.

END ACT THREE

ACT FOUR