| The following episode written for The Xena Warrior Princess
Virtual Season is a work of fiction based upon the television series Xena: Warrior
Princess. The original characters are used strictly for fan purposes and not for profit.
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Xena: Warrior Princess Virtual Season
Episode 7.15: Another Day, Another Warlord
Written by 'Bardy' Pearl D. Anderson
Illustrated by: Trish and Sall
TEASER
1. EXT. WOODS - LATE
AFTERNOON
Xena and Gabrielle crouch in a thicket beside a road. Off in the
woods they can hear voices calling to one another. Xena has drawn her sword and is running
her fingers carefully along the blade's edge while she listens to the sounds around them.
Gabrielle, still unsure what to expect, sits silently beside her, trying to make out
shapes among the shadows.
A faint, nearly unheard sound from the distance draws Xena's
attention. She signals Gabrielle to remain quiet; silently she slides her sword back into
its sheath.
XENA
(whispering)
Stay here
Gabrielle nods, as Xena seems to glide up into the trees and out of
sight.
Sometime later Gabrielle, still crouching, cautiously reaches out a
hand to move a branch in the hope of catching a glimpse of the figures in the distance. As
she allows the branch to slowly return to its place, the light touch of a warm hand
informs her that Xena has returned as silently as she had left. A curious arch of an
eyebrow is the only visible inquiry from Gabrielle.
Xena leans toward Gabrielle and whispers.
XENA
A trade caravan is coming down the road. It looks like somebody has
set up an ambush.
(beat)
It looks like the bandit's camp is set up off the road over there.
(points)
Some of them are still there.
GABRIELLE
(whispering)
The people in the caravan... Anyone we know?
The lop-sided grin on Xena's face tells her they are.
XENA
From their banners, it looks like they're King Gregor's people. I
don't know who's behind the ambush.
GABRIELLE
And our next move?
Gabrielle reaches for her sais.
XENA
We crash the party, of course!
A slightly wicked and excited smile plays around her mouth.
The look on Gabrielle's face reflects that of the Warrior
Princess's.
XENA
(continued)
Stay close...
Still using the foliage as cover they circle partway behind the
campsite. Xena stops, closes her eyes, and listens.
Gabrielle pauses and extends her senses as well. They hear the faint
sound of men talking. Xena's eyes open, then narrow, as she considers the new information.
Another small sound catches her attention.
XENA
(continued)
Gabrielle, I need our travel bag.
Gabrielle bends low to the ground, opens their travel bag and dumps
the few items onto the ground, then hands it to Xena.
XENA
Be right back...
Xena again vanishes into the trees.
Gabrielle watches Xena as the warrior carefully leans forward from a
large branch, the bag held open.
Gabrielle's eyes widen as she catches sight of a bubble-like sack
hanging off the center of a branch and realizes that Xena is about to bag a huge hornet's
nest! With one smooth swoop, Xena engulfs the nest with the bag, pulls the top shut, and
breaks the nest loose from the branch. She vanishes again among the leaves and branches.
CUT TO:
2. EXT. CLEARING LATE AFTERNOON
In a small clearing, three scruffy men gather around a game being
played on the ground in front of a crude lean-to. Off to the left their horses are saddled
and tethered to a line running the length between two trees.
Overhead Xena leans comfortably against the tree trunk and looks
over the rough camp, counts the number of brigands, and notes the horses. Then, without a
sound, she stealthily lowers herself to the ground.
She works her way silently around to the horses. The animals are
skittish, but she manages to calm them with gentle strokes before cutting them loose.
That done, she returns to the tree where she has stashed the now
furiously buzzing bag. She whirls the bag once, twice, and then taking careful aim,
targets the gambling men. She leaps back into the tree and stays just long enough to see
the shocked realization on their faces.
CUT TO:
Xena drops down beside Gabrielle as startled shouts and cries of
pain come from the camp, along with the sound of horses scattering in all directions
through the brush.
XENA
(grinning)
Now, let's get to the fun part!
The bard nimbly follows close behind the warrior as they creep
closer to the unsuspecting ambushers. Soon they are close enough to the road to hear the
rumble of the wagons. At a wave from Xena, they settle on their heels to peer through the
brush, looking for the exact location of the ambushers.
CUT TO:
3. EXT. DIRT ROAD JUST BEFORE SUNSET
On a narrow dirt road a trade wagon comes into view, with the sounds
of other wagons behind. On each side of the road, several figures are hunkered down behind
trees and brush, waiting to spring their trap.
Xena assesses the situation as the lead wagon slowly moves forward.
She leans toward Gabrielle.
XENA
We can't let the whole caravan fall into their trap. Get over next
to that big boulder. I need to find something I can use to warn the caravan. When I yell,
you give your best Amazon war cry....
With a nod, Gabrielle slips quietly to the boulder and presses into
the shadows.
A huge log appears out of nowhere and crashes into the road. Xena's
war cry follows. Gabrielle responds in kind. Then they both burst into the open behind the
bandits. The drivers pull back on their reins, bringing the horses and wagons to a stop.
The ambushers, startled, leap up and charge at the caravan. Chaos ensues. Armed defenders
from the caravan run forward, while Xena and Gabrielle push from behind.
It is a brief fight. Xena happily wades through a small bunch of
over-anxious and poorly armed would-be robbers. Two find themselves flying in opposite
directions from a flying kick as the warrior princess leaps over them, landing with her
sword at the ready. Five robbers make the serious mistake of surrounding Xena, thinking
their numbers can overcome her. Leaping and dancing just beyond the clumsy swinging of
swords and axes, she smiles grimly as one by one they all fall, knocked out or dead. When
the apparent leader grabs a ram's horn and tries to summon reinforcements she whirls
around. A ferocious smile crosses her face.
Before Xena can act, Gabrielle leaps back from the opponent she has
just kicked in the chest and brings the hilt end of a sai up under the chin of the horn
blower. He bites the end of the ram's horn off, loops over backward, and falls unconscious
to the ground. In all, there are at least a dozen bandits down, and only three from the
caravan have wounds needing care.
Xena pauses, checking to make sure none of the brigands are in any
condition to continue the argument. Striding to the limp form of the leader, she flips him
over on his back with one foot and stares at him thoughtfully. She notes with amusement he
still has the bitten-off end of the ram's horn between his bloody lips. She looks at
Gabrielle still in fighting stance over the fallen man.
XENA
(smiling at Gabrielle)
Almost too good with those sais, Gabrielle.
She looks up at the approaching leader of the caravan soldiers.
XENA
Keep this one....
She nudges the unconscious body with her boot.
XENA
(continued)
We need information from him.
The leader of the caravan defense troops leans on his sword as he
eyes Xena closely. A handsome man with curly brown hair and a carefully tended beard, he
is tall, but finds himself eye to eye with the woman warrior. He straightens as Gabrielle
moves closer beside the warrior.
LEADER
I would not have believed it.... I don't see how this is possible...
but by the Gods! You must be Xena!
He turns to Gabrielle.
MAN
(continued)
And you would have to be Gabrielle!
FADE OUT:
END TEASER
ACT
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