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ACT TWO
FADE IN:
INT. CYRENE'S INN - BACK ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Gabrielle jumps up and goes to the door, looking out.
GABRIELLE Who's there? Hello?
There is no answer. Gabrielle grabs the torch and moves up the steps into the hallway. Around her, the inn creaks in the storm.
CUT TO:
INT. CYRENE'S INN - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
GABRIELLE Hello? I know someone was there. I saw you.
Another flash of lightning, but this time the corner is empty. Gabrielle walks over to it and crouches down, touching the floor. It is wet, and muddy. She touches a footprint.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Least I'm not going crazy.
Gabrielle continues down the corridor, searching for the figure. She comes up against a dead end, a collapsed wall. She looks one way then the other. Then she tips her head back and looks up.
She sees nothing, and there is no obvious way anyone could have gotten out past her.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Okay, maybe I am going crazy.
Gabrielle stands up, then returns the way she came, walking backwards as she watches the hallway, searching the corners for something other than shadows.
She finds nothing. She backs down the steps and pauses in the doorway of the small room, listening intently.
All she hears is thunder, and the creaking of wood.
CUT TO:
EXT. CYRENE'S INN - REAR DOOR - NIGHT
Xena is unbuckling their bags and assorted bundles from Argo II"s saddle. She puts them down under a broken piece of roof wood and starts to take off the mare's tack. It is raining.
XENA Hang on, girl. Almost done.
Argo II whickers.
XENA (cont’d) There's some shelter over there, and lots of grass.
Xena removes Argo's saddle and bridle. She puts them under the roof piece to keep them dry, then straightens up and strokes Argo's nose.
XENA (cont’d) G'wan girl. Go through those trees. There's a field on the other side.
Xena stares through the rain towards the spot.
XENA (cont’d) (softly) Believe it or not, it's where I learned to ride. (patting Argo) Can you imagine that?
Argo snorts, as if in disbelief. She trots off towards the trees. Xena smiles and turns to pick up their gear.
CUT TO:
INT. CYRENE'S INN - BACK ROOM - NIGHT
Gabrielle enters and looks back over her shoulder one more time. She sees nothing, and puts the torch back in the wall sconce. She goes back to the box and starts to sit, then changes her mind and begins to tug the boxes around to make some space.
GABRIELLE Let’s see what I can find to make us a bed.
The boxes are filled with odds and ends. This is obviously a store room for things that were not used often. Some old parchment, old tools, broken chairs, etc.
Gabrielle pulls a piece of wood aside, and a pile of old rags falls over her. She throws them away from herself with an almost violent motion.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Stupid piece of....
She stops, and takes breath.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Damn I'm starting to sound like Xena.
Gabrielle overturns a few old crates. Three crates are stacked near the wall. She goes over and tries to pull down the top one, but it overbalances and crashes down on top of her.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Yahhh!!
The door flies open and Xena bounds into the room, alert and ready to fight. She spots a movement in the corner and pounces on it, pulling the crate up and revealing Gabrielle underneath.
XENA What are you doing?
Gabrielle is covered in the contents of the crate, stacks and stacks of musty old furs. She sneezes. A bit of fur drifts up and lands on her head.
GABRIELLE Making a nest. What does it look like?
Xena smiles in response.
XENA Room in the nest for two?
Gabrielle moves over. Xena sits down on the pile of furs with her. They both sneeze from the dust.
GABRIELLE (sniffling) Xena, I saw someone else in here. Someone was watching from past that door.
Xena looks at the door in some alarm.
XENA I didn't see anyone coming in here.
GABRIELLE I know. I didn't see anyone leaving, either.
XENA You sure you...?
GABRIELLE Yes. (pausing) And he left muddy footprints.
Xena opens her mouth to say something.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Bigger than yours.
Gabrielle looks at the door.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Want me to show you?
XENA Nah. We can look in the morning. Probably just someone getting out of the rain. Sounds like you scared him off.
Gabrielle looks relieved. Thunder rolls outside, and the rain can now be heard coming down much harder. Gabrielle leans against the earthen wall and looks up.
GABRIELLE Nice to have a roof over our heads for a change. (thoughtfully) Especially this roof.
Xena sprawls next to Gabrielle on the furs.
XENA We're gonna have to rebuild most of this roof. (sighing) Maybe it's crazy.
GABRIELLE Maybe. I'm glad we're doing it anyway. It's going to be good to stay in one place for a while.
Xena pulls their bags over and sets them on the furs. She watches Gabrielle out of the corner of her eye with some concern.
XENA You tired of traveling?
GABRIELLE I don't know. I think I'm just... tired.
Gabrielle leans back on her hands and gazed out across the room.
XENA Your knee bothering you again?
Gabrielle shrugs.
GABRIELLE It hurts. What else is new? I think I'm just getting used to pain. Like you are.
Xena reacts, frowning slightly.
XENA Lay down. Might as well keep off it if you can.
Gabrielle lies down and curls up on the furs, using her bag as a pillow. Xena runs her fingers through Gabrielle's hair. Gabrielle closes her eyes.
Xena sits by her in silence, deep in thought.
FADE TO:
INT CYRENE'S INN - MAIN ROOM – MORNING
The storm has ended. Xena emerges into the ruins of what was the inn's main room. In the daylight, the condition is worse than what it appeared the night before. The walls are full of holes, and the door is missing. Debris litters the floor.
Xena walks around the perimeter. She hears something behind her and turns, looking back into the corridor that leads further inside the inn.
XENA Gabrielle?
There is no answer. Xena goes to the corridor and looks down it, but sees nothing. She crouches and examines the floor, then looks at the walls inside the hallway. There are no visible marks.
XENA (cont’d) Don't tell me I'm getting an imagination after all these years.
Xena pauses near the entrance to the kitchen and just looks at the mess, then shakes her head. She is dressed only in her leathers. She ties her hair back, and starts to work gathering broken items and debris and chucking it out the window.
CUT TO:
INT. CYRENE'S INN - BACK ROOM - LATE MORNING
Gabrielle is sound asleep on the pile of furs. There are two small windows high up on the wall that have been opened to let sun and air in, but the door to the inside of the inn is closed.
Far off, past the door, the sound of steady labor can be faintly heard.
It is peaceful for a few moments, then a loud bang is heard, followed by a curse.
Gabrielle does not stir at the bang, but the curse brings her sitting straight up, wide awake.
GABRIELLE Xena!
Gabrielle looks around her, confused. Then she remembers where she is and sits back against the wall. She scrubs her face with both hands, and then lets them fall to her lap.
Her eyes go to the windows, then to her clothes, which have been removed and neatly folded next to her boots. She plucks the edge of her nightgown and just shakes her head.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) I know I didn't fall asleep like this. Don't tell me you're getting considerate in your old age, Xena.
Gabrielle pulls her clothing over, and starts to hastily dress.
CUT TO:
INT. CYRENE'S INN - MAIN ROOM - MID MORNING
Xena is sitting on an overturned box, cradling her right hand while she attempts to get a splinter out of her palm.
The main room has been roughly cleared. Part of the roof is missing, now evident in the daylight, and the sun pours down into the open space and over Xena's body.
Gabrielle appears in the hallway entry and stands quietly, just watching Xena.
XENA Come on, you son of a....
Gabrielle enters and walks over to Xena.
GABRIELLE What's up?
XENA (grumpily) You, finally.
GABRIELLE You could have woken me whenever you felt like it.
Xena continues to try and remove the splinter.
XENA I thought you could use a sleep in.
XENA (cont'd, grimacing) Damn it....
GABRIELLE So now you're bitching because I did?
XENA I’m not bitching.
GABRIELLE Okay, whining.
Xena picks her head up and gives Gabrielle the look.
XENA I am NOT whining.
Gabrielle leans over and gives Xena a kiss on the lips.
GABRIELLE Thank you.
She takes Xena's hand.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Here. Hold still.
XENA (grumbling) I can do that myself.
GABRIELLE Shut up, Xena.
Gabrielle works on removing the splinter. Xena waits.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) You got a lot done. (smiling) Ah, there it goes.
Xena examines her hand, flexing it, then she stands up, putting her fists on her hips and looking around.
XENA Drop in the bucket.
Gabrielle wanders over, and looks through the doorway into the kitchen. If anything, what can be seen through the door is in worse shape than the main room.
GABRIELLE Well, I'll get started in here.
Xena turns towards her.
XENA Gabrielle.
In the doorway to the kitchen, Gabrielle stops and looks back inquiringly.
XENA (cont’d) You don't have to do this.
She looks around.
XENA (cont’d) After I got started, I realized how much work it's going to be. It's nuts.
Gabrielle walks back over to where Xena is standing.
GABRIELLE Do you still want to do it?
Xena exhaled, and turns, surveying the room. She lifts both arms in question.
XENA Is there a point?
GABRIELLE There is for me.
Xena turns around again, surprised. Gabrielle walks past her, then circles around the room, reaching out to touch a wall. She grips a piece of the wood.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) I found my future in this room. (turning) I made a choice, discovered a friend and stopped being a child right...about here. (looking down) So I'd like to see this place whole again, even if it's just for a little while.
XENA Ah. I didn't know you felt that way.
GABRIELLE Yeah, well... neither did I.
Gabrielle crosses back to the doorway into the kitchen and passes through it, disappearing from sight. Xena is left somewhat surprised, in the center of the room. After a moment, she shakes her head slightly and goes back to her work.
CUT TO:
INT. CYRENE'S INN - KITCHEN - DAY
Gabrielle goes to the outside door, half broken and hanging on its hinges. She stares at it, then abruptly lashes out and gives it a solid roundhouse kick. The door parts fall off and clatter to the ground outside.
Gabrielle stares at it, then wipes the back of her hand across her eyes impatiently.
GABRIELLE Great start.
Turning, Gabrielle grabs the first bit of debris and throws it out the door. She finds another piece and heads for the opening with it, almost letting it go when a figure appears in the doorway. Gabrielle manages to stop her motion, almost causing her to fall over.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Oh! Sorry!
Gabrielle recovers her balance and turns to the doorway, only to find it empty.
She runs to the opening and looks out, but sees no one.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) What the...? Hey! Hey! Who's out there?
Gabrielle kneels next to the door and examines the ground. She touches a depression in the earth, then looks around again. The area is completely empty as far as the eye can see.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) Maybe I'm just seeing things. (muttering) Too many nights sleeping on wet rocks.
Gabrielle goes back inside and starts to tug a huge tangle of wood and iron towards the door. As she moves towards the outer entrance, behind her shoulder a figure appears in the inner one, watching her.
It is fain, and almost see-through. The features are indistinguishable, but there is an impression of youth.
XENA (V.O.) Gabrielle!
At Xena's voice, the figure disappears, just as Gabrielle turns to face it.
GABRIELLE (loudly) Yeah?
XENA (V.O.) Any levers in there?
Gabrielle looks around her at the destruction and lifts her hands, then lets them drop.
GABRIELLE (loudly) See what I can find.
Gabrielle goes back to work.
CUT TO:
EXT CYRENE'S INN - FRONT - AFTERNOON
Xena is piling all the debris into a huge pyre. Gabrielle emerges from the front of the inn with an armful more, and drops it on the pile.
GABRIELLE We should clear some of this forest out too - you can barely see the place from the road.
Xena nods.
XENA Yeah.
Xena sets fire to the pile of debris. She steps back to watch it burn, and Gabrielle comes to her side and stands with her. Gabrielle folds her arms over her chest. Both she and Xena are covered in dirt, soot, wood chips, and assorted garbage. Xena has a rip in her leathers, and Gabrielle's red velvet outfit is now roughly the same color those leathers. Gabrielle is also sporting several scrapes across her shins.
GABRIELLE Phew. Well, it's a start.
XENA (smiling) Yeah. It's a start.
They hear voices behind them. Xena and Gabrielle turn to find what is left of the village pushing past the overgrown foliage to confront them.
One of the men gets in front.
TOWNSMAN I don't know what you think you're doing, Xena, but we don't want you here.
Xena remains silent.
TOWNSPEOPLE Yeah.
TOWNSMAN So you better pack yourself up and take off.
Xena stalks forward.
XENA Yeah? Who's gonna make me?
TOWNSMAN We are. The longer you stay here, the worse destruction those brigands are going to lay on us for letting you stay. You've done enough! Now LEAVE!
Gabrielle starts forward. Xena puts her hand out and stops her.
XENA (growling) I’m not going anywhere.
She turns and points.
XENA (cont’d) This is my place. My home. If you think you can chase me out of here, c'mon and try.
TOWNSMAN You gave up any claim to this place when you brought the wrath of the gods on us!!!
Xena steps forward and grabs the man, lifts him up by the shirt. His feet dangle over the ground.
XENA (yelling) YOU... Gave up any claim to my mercy when you burned my mother!
Xena throws the man from her. He falls on the ground.
XENA (cont’d) I'll leave when I'm good and ready.
The crowd looks at each other uneasily. They are all carrying sticks and poles, and some have rocks in their hands. Xena and Gabrielle are not visibly armed.
The standoff is broken when the sound of yelling is heard, and again, the approaching thunder of hooves.
TOWNSMAN Let's let them handle her! Hurry! Show them where she is! Run!
The townspeople scramble out of the way, shoving through the overgrown bushes, frantic to get out of the way before the raiders arrive.
GABRIELLE Our new neighbors leave something to be desired, Xena.
She turns and starts running.
GABRIELLE (cont’d) I'll get the weapons.
Xena picks up a burning piece of wood.
XENA I'll warm up the guests.
FADE OUT. |
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END OF ACT TWO |
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