| Episode Guide | Teaser | Act 1 | Act 2 | Act 3 | Act 4 |
|
|||||
|
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
EXT. FOREST - DAY
Xena and Gabrielle have traveled further into the forest still following Argo’s tracks. Suddenly, the mare comes charging out of a thicket of trees right at them. She is rearing slightly, bobbing her head in a warning manner and generally trying to get them to back off.
XENA Easy girl! Easy! What’s wrong?
They both approach her slowly but as they do, she dashes away from them, leading them away from the direction they were heading.
They look at each other and then again attempt to get near the mare. She prances nervously and backs away.
GABRIELLE Easy, Argo. Easy now.
Gabrielle approaches her from the front while Xena tries to get around her side to put the rope around her neck. She turns and looks at Xena, snorting before backing away yet again.
GABRIELLE Something has her spooked.
XENA We need to get her calmed down before she hurts herself.
Argo turns and runs further from the spot, forcing Xena and Gabrielle to follow her.
GABRIELLE She really doesn’t want us near whatever is back there.
Before the sound of Gabrielle’s voice has even left the air, there is a scream from the woods. It is clearly a horse. The sounds make it very apparent that it is in some sort of trouble. Argo becomes more agitated and begins rearing in very nearly a violent manner.
The noises come closer and even as the horse’s painful cries can be heard, the sounds of men yelling can also be heard.
MAN #1 (offstage) Get him!
MAN #2 (offstage) Don’t damage him!
Xena and Gabrielle watch as a huge white stallion comes into the clearing. They both take cover behind trees to watch as they hear men following the horse. Gabrielle notices a large gash across the stallion’s chest that is dripping brilliant red blood, spraying it all over the clearing as the horse bolts around, trying to evade his hunters.
Then he does something that catches both Xena and Gabrielle by surprise. As the hunters come into the clearing, he spreads his wings.
GABRIELLE By the gods.
XENA A Pegasus.
GABRIELLE We need to help him.
Argo moves to them and stares them down. It’s clear she is blocking their path to the hunters and the hunted.
XENA Easy girl. We’re going to give him a hand.
Argo lowers her head and takes a step forward. She’s doing her best to move them back. There is another wild scream from the Pegasus. Xena and Gabrielle look past Argo in time to see two of the four men in the group throw a net over him. He stops for a second and turns his head to where Argo is standing. Then he rears again and whinnies loudly at her.
Argo turns and takes a few steps forward before rearing and calling back to him. Then she turns and runs away, past Xena and Gabrielle, apparently heading back to the river and to their camp.
Torn between going to help the Pegasus and following Argo, Xena and Gabrielle watch as the death blow is given and the Pegasus crumples to the ground.
XENA Bastards.
The men crowd around. The leader obviously isn’t happy.
MAN #1 You idiots, you broke his wing!
MAN #2 Yeah, but the other one will still bring a good price in Athens.
MAN #3 What about that golden mare he was with?
MAN #1 Leave her. She’s just a horse.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAMP - DAY
Xena and Gabrielle are tending to Argo, who seems to be calmer now, but she is still twitching a bit even as Xena bushes her and Gabrielle offers her apple slices.
GABRIELLE So, now what?
XENA We give them time to do what they will, and then we go back there.
Argo swings her head around and seems to shake it ‘no’.
GABRIELLE I don’t think she likes that idea.
XENA All right then. We pack up and head into the next village and see if we can find information there. If someone is hunting the Pegasus I don’t see how they can keep it quiet. They mentioned Athens, but they have to prepare them for shipment somewhere.
GABRIELLE I think a nice warm stable is just the ticket for Argo too.
XENA You read my mind.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. TOWN - AFTERNOON
It’s a fairly common village. Nothing out of the ordinary about it at all. The people seem happy enough as they go about their business, paying little attention to Xena and Gabrielle as they lead Argo into their village.
GABRIELLE How many do you think they’ve killed?
XENA One is too many, but I got the impression they’ve been doing this for a while.
GABRIELLE I didn’t think there were any left.
XENA If they keep this up, there won’t be.
Xena looks around and then points to a sign that seems to point to the local stable.
XENA (cont’d) Come on; let’s get her settled. Then we’ll poke around a bit.
CUT TO:
INT. STABLE - AFTERNOON
Xena is brushing Argo down as Gabrielle stores her tack in a bin next to the stall.
GABRIELLE How’s she doing?
XENA Better. She’s calmed down a lot.
GABRIELLE Why do you think she was so insistent on getting us way from there?
XENA I can only guess that there were more of the Pegasus’ around, probably hiding and she was afraid that we might accidentally lead those men to them.
Gabrielle dumps a bag of oats into a trough and gives Argo a pat on the neck.
GABRIELLE Its okay, girl. We’ll make sure to stop them. No one will hurt your friends.
Argo snorts, nods her head, and then nuzzles Gabrielle’s neck.
Xena and Gabrielle look at each other. Even though Argo can’t articulate it, they know that whatever she saw was horrifying to her.
CUT TO:
INT. INN - EVENING
Xena and Gabrielle are seated at the back of the room at a corner table, which affords them a perfect view of the entire place.
GABRIELLE So far it doesn’t look like anyone is involved.
XENA It’s early. They’ve had a good day hunting... they’ll be here. They also need someone to finance this little venture and I’d bet my last dinar that the innkeeper is in on this. He’s obviously one of the wealthiest men in town.
GABRIELLE Zeus used the Pegasus to carry his thunderbolts. I wish we had a few of those now. Those men need a bolt right up the....
Before she can finish, Xena points to two men entering the inn. They don’t look that unusual except one of them has a few white feathers sticking from a bag slung over his shoulder.
The innkeeper gestures to the men who join him at the end of the bar. They don’t seem to be the least bit interested in the keeping their conversation quiet.
INNKEEPER How did you do today?
ERRILIS We found the large white one. He put up a fight, but we finally got him.
The man with the bag opens it and places a few of the feathers on the bar.
ALEXIE One of his wings did get broken.
INNKEEPER Too bad. They bring a good price in the Athens market. But the feathers sell well too. Those people at the Athens Academy love them... think they’re quills blessed by the muses.
Gabrielle looks to Xena with a sickened expression on her face. Xena reaches over and takes her hand to comfort her.
XENA (whispering) It’s okay.
GABRIELLE Stupid people. One day they’ll learn using a feather from a Pegasus can’t make them talented.
XENA When we’re done, there won’t be a trade in the feathers or any other part of the animal.
INNKEEPER Did you have any other trouble?
ERRILIS None. The stallion was with a golden mare, but we didn’t bother with her. She was a common horse. She was a pretty one though. I wouldn’t have minded catching her for myself.
XENA (under her breath) She’s too smart for you.
Xena and Gabrielle watch as the men conclude their business and leave the inn. Gabrielle tosses some coins down on the table and they get up to follow.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEY - EVENING
Quietly they follow the men down a semi-dark alleyway and watch as they enter a building at a side entrance. Almost immediately they start looking around for another way in and without speaking they decide the best way in will be through the second story.
Xena positions herself and give Gabrielle a foot up to the railing of a second story balcony. Once she has a hold, Gabrielle climbs up and over the railing. She turns and offers her hand to Xena who refuses with a shake of her head. She takes a few steps back then runs and jumps to the railing, hauling herself over with very little effort.
GABRIELLE Show off.
Xena grins and shrugs as they turn to make their way in the balcony doors.
CUT TO:
INT. HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Moving silently down a long hall, they stop at the top of the landing leading down to the common room. Light from the room below them filters up the steps but allows them to remain hidden in the shadows.
There are several voices mixed together in low hushed murmurs. But threads of conversation can be heard.
MAN #1 We think there’s still a small herd out there.
MAN #2 We’re going back out in the morning. I wonder what a colt would bring at auction.
Xena tugs Gabrielle’s cloak and points towards the room they had entered through.
XENA Let’s go.
GABRIELLE But ....
XENA They aren’t going anywhere until morning. That gives us time.
Gabrielle nods and they head back the way they came.
FADE OUT. |
|||||
|
END OF ACT TWO |
|||||
