The Xena Scrolls

By:  Gabrielle Bard of Potedia

Scroll#13:  The Gauntlet

January, 48 B.C.

     Inside all of us there is a yearning to do good and  to be good.  And its the same with the warrior princess.  Her transformation from the ways of darkness into the goodness of the light began with the friendship of Hercules and Iolas.  After being defeated by their love of each other Xena the warrior princess found herself confused.  She could not fight against that kind of power.  Xena had taken armies up against many more than two and wiped out her enemy completely.  Yet this time it only took two men to defeat her plans for conquering the world.  This power was greater than any power she had ever known. 

     The warrior princess continued on fighting with her army and destroying the lives of many.  She was still seeking the conquer all of Greece.  Xena’s army was very successful in the Parthenon province as it conquered one city after another.  One day Xena found herself in the heat of battle being challenged by one of her men.  He tested her to see just how far he could take her code.  Xena’s code was that no women or children were to be killed in battle.  Darphus was determined to break the code and deface the honor of his commander.  He killed an innocent woman with spite making sure that Xena could see what crime he had committed.  The warrior princess was angry at his defiance, but could do nothing as she took her own blade to the throat of an innocent man.

     She used her dangerous round weapon in this battle as the power of her army took down yet another village.  As women and children fled and other survivors followed the burning village sent out a warning to those which surrounded it of the approaching wrath of a warrior princess.  With the battle ending Xena approached Darphus to remind him of her code.  True warriors did not kill the weak.  While the two argued Xena found herself presented with a cowardly woman.  Yet there was something very strange about this cowardly woman.  When she was brought forth to the warrior princess Xena revealed this woman’s true identity.  A cowardly woman turned out to be a cowardly man who had been hiding from Xena’s army during the battle.  Xena’s men prepared to take his life, but Xena stopped them with a simple command.  Then the warrior princess asked him why she should spare his life.  The cowardly salesman Salmoneous tried nervously and desperately to explain.  He tried every excuse he could think of, but it was when he spoke of his mother’s sadness that caught the warrior princess’s attention.

     Somehow the simple reminder of a mother’s loss was all that it took to touch Xena’s cold heart.  Yet she could not allow her men to know that there was still warmth inside of her heart.  She told Salmoneous that he was amusing and that was why he would be allowed to live.  He would travel with her and her army amusing her when she needed amusement.  Salmoneous was relieved that his life had been spared and found himself liking the warrior princess despite her darkness.  And so he traveled with Xena’s army toward the village of Parthis where they were planning to strike next.  Late in the night Xena had decided that they would set up camp.  She sent one of her scouts out ahead of her as she took a few of her men north to lay out her plan of attack.

      After only traveling with Xena’s army for half a day Salmoneous could see that there was conflict within.  He could see that Darphus was a force to be reckoned with despite Xena’s charisma and power.  Salmoneous began to find himself recalling his experience earlier in the day when Xena and her army had first stopped to have their meal.  It was obvious that they were quite rich for they had plenty of plump fresh chickens to feed at least ten armies.  Salmoneous was certain that he would have a feast himself until Darphus reminded him that he could kill him in an instant.  Salmoneous went to the only one that he could see any warmth within.  He went to Xena and began to entertain her once more.  He tried complementing her looks at first.  Indeed the warrior princess was beautiful.  Then Salmoneous began to sing to the warrior princess insisting that she needed someone to promote her image.  Of course her image had already been promoted.  Xena knew this, but realized that her subject was begging.  She gave him the rest of her chicken, but told him to continue his entertainment.

      In that moment it had been obvious to Salmoneous that Xena was truly growing weary of this dark lifestyle she had been living.  She was quite good at it, but Salmoneous knew that there was indeed more than just to swords, and the armor.  Upon finishing his bowl of stew after thinking of his earlier encounter with Xena he found that Darphus had his own plans.  The two had been arguing all day long over whether or not they should hit the western coast before going onto Parthis.  Darphus wanted to take that village because it was an easy target, but Xena objected.  It seemed that her lust for riches and power were not as great as they had been told to be.  Only Darphus seemed out of control. 

      And he was for after Xena had left toward Parthis Darphus took the rest of Xena’s army toward the west coast.  Salmoneous reminded him of Xena’s wishes just before Darphus left, but backed down upon being threatened again.  It was truly amazing that Salmoneous had not been killed by the wrath of Darphus.  Yet those on the coast were not as fortunate on that night.  They truly experienced tragedy greater than can be imagined.  Darphus took Xena’s men instructing them to kill every last man, woman, and child before leaving to return to camp.  With Darphus in command in Xena’s abscence he instructed the army to burn the entire village and take any riches that they desired.  Darphus was clearly greedy and heartless.  If Xena’s heart were cold then Darphus’s was frozen.

     Xena returned back to her camp alone to find Salmoneous and no other soul.  Salmoneous explained what Darphus had done and Xena immediately rode to take command once again.  Yet it was too late for the coast when she arrived for the entire village had been charred to nothing.  She sadly investigated the ruins and saw that everyone had been killed.  Her warriors had done all of this destruction and she was responsible for the deaths of women and children.  The warrior princess was angry at Darphus for his defiance, but there was nothing that she could do.  It was clear to her that she was beginning to lose control of her army to the tyrant.  Yet then something amazing happened within Xena’s  moment of darkness.  The cries of a child were heard coming from the depths of the destruction.  Xena followed the cries and there beneath a white blanket was a baby.  The child should have meant nothing, but it was the beginning for Xena.  For when Darphus commanded that the baby be killed Xena would not allow it.  She protected the child from harm and then left with Salmoneous to find a safe place for him.

     Salmoneous could feel Xena’s uncertainty for the choice that she had made.  It seemed unlikely that a hungry warrior princess would put her honor on the line to protect a child.  The two had found a shepherdess who could take care of the baby hidden in a cave under the valley.  Xena did not seem to know what to do or where to go next.  Then she handed the baby to the shepherdess who was glad to care for the orphaned child.  After taking care of the child Xena took Salmoneous and they returned to camp with the rest of Xena’s army.  Yet when they arrived Xena was not welcomed as she had expected to be.  Instead she was greeted by Darphus requesting that she leave the army the only way that an honorable warrior could leave.  It was clear that her past was a harsh and unwilling resistant to change for she had been changing the way her army conducted itself.  Darphus and others were not in agreement with Xena’s new codes and so her own men put her through a Gauntlet of faith. 

     Xena still had faith that her men were loyal to her.  She prepared to go through the gauntlet without being touched by a single man.  Then Darphus commanded that her armor be removed.  The men removed the armor and Xena prepared to walk the gauntlet.  Salmoneous was told that no one had ever survived the gauntlet.  He watched as the warrior princess took the first steps across the line in the sand.  After three steps nothing happened, but then the first blow came.  That was followed by another and another.  Xena’s own army was beating their fearless commander as she walked through their wrath.  Her faith in her men was torn for they had chosen Darphus’s code over her own.  Now the gauntlet had gone beyond faith.  It was now a test of survival for the warrior princess.  She fought through the violent blows and took every abuse delivered to her body.  Xena was fearless as she challenged her men to take her life continuing onto the other side.  She had started out on the dark side, but was determined to reach the light. 

     The warrior princess fell to the ground badly beaten and bruised.  She was close to the second line in the sand struggling to cross it alive.  Slowly she crawled toward the light through all that plagued her.  And then as she crossed the line.  Her proud warrior head fell and she was motionless.  Salmoneous was certain that it was over for Xena as he she a tear for her.  He was the only man who had compassion for Xena.  Salmoneous had been the only one loyal.  But just when everyone began to walk away and leave Xena behind she rose from the darkness and faced her demons.  Darphus was shocked that she had lived through the gauntlet for no one ever had.  He commanded the men to finish her off, but not one would cross that line.  Xena had played by the rules of the gauntlet and made it through alive.  She had survived and with that gained the respect of Darphus’s men.  Darphus laughed in her face proclaiming that he would eventually finish her off.  As she prepared to leave for exile Xena spit in the face of her new found enemy. 

      The next morning Salmoneous was released from an army once commanded by the warrior princess.  He was fully suited with armor and ran swiftly from the wrath of Darphus.  Yet he did not make it far down the road before landing within a trap which took him upside down from a tree.  Salmoneous hung there for several moments until help arrived.  It was Hercules, his cousin, and a local who had been from the west coast.  He had lost everyone he had ever known and ever loved to the wrath of Darphus’s fury.  The young scout had first run into Hercules and his cousin while the two had buried the dead.  Mistakenly the scout had thought that it was Hercules who had caused the destruction.  He had tried to battle against Hercules to get his revenge, but was defeated by the legendary hero.  Yet not before he had sent an arrow through the chest of Hercules’s young cousin.  It was the cousin whom had alerted Hercules to the death and the destruction spreading through Parthenon.  And the enemy that they seeked to find was the warrior princess.

       Yet upon running into the helpless Salmoneous they freed him from his binds.  When Salmoneous was alerted to the danger that Xena brought he defended the warrior princess.  Salmoneous revealed what he had seen within the dark woman and what he had seen could be repaired.  The salesman declared that it was Darphus that they truly seeked to find.  It was Darphus that needed to be stopped and taken by the light.  The three heroes did not believe Salmoneous for they had not yet seen the truth of the warrior princess.  As for Hercules he could only recall the Xena he had met the last time they had crossed paths.  The Xena Hercules remembered wanted to kill him and tried to steal the friendship he valued most. 

     The legendary hero continued on with his comrades angry at all that he had seen.  He was passionate in stopping the dark force behind all of the madness.  They headed on toward Parthis hoping to make it there before Xena’s army.  Not far from Parthis they ran into the dark woman warrior.  It was as if she had awaited their arrival and knew that Hercules was coming.  She challenged the legendary hero enticing him into a battle against her.  Hercules refused at first.  Xena then pulled out her chackram and beckoned Hercules once more.  Salmoneous tried to plead with Xena knowing that she was confused.  But again he backed down for his cowardly heart could not stand alone.  Hercules then charged forward to defend his comrades from Xena.  The skilled warrior princess flipped into action drawing her sword to do battle.

     Hercules did not use a weapon at first for he did not believe in the death of his enemy.  The skill of the warrior princess became to great for Hercules to fight this battle without the sword so he took refuge.  Now it was  a battle to the death between two great warriors.  One was of the darkness and the other of the light.  Their swords clashed violently like the sounds of Zeus, but in the end the light won out holding his blade to Xena’s neck.  She was helpless upon the ground and badly defeated.  Her warrior pride was more defeated than it had ever been.  Xena had always won against her enemies, but this time it was different.  She had come to defeat Hercules and take his head back to her army.  Xena was certain to regain their respect upon defeating such a worthy opponent.  But her plans had been defeated once again by a worthy foe.

     Xena then gave up for she wanted her life taken.  If she could not defeat Hercules then she did not want to live.  She begged Hercules to take her life, but he refused.  Hercules could see in that moment what Salmoneous had seen all along.  The legendary hero took pity on a confused warrior.  He could see her potential and he could see within her a struggle between two poles.  Hercules released his grip upon her life and let her go.  She fled the scene more confused and in shame of her defeat.  Though the scout wanted to take his vengeance upon Xena for what her army had done to his family and friends Hercules advised against going after one so confused.  Hercules knew deep down that one day Xena would make the right choice.

      And so the four comrades continued on.  They prepared to take Parthis from the marauders whom had stolen so much.  First they arrived ahead of the army following the short cut known by the scout.  Then they safely escorted the people of Parthis to safety as they prepared to do battle.  Darkness soon fell and Darphus rode into the village with the army.  They fought seventy-five men to four.  And amazingly they were even.  But the battle became weary for Hercules and his comrades until someone had decided to join them.  It was Xena the warrior princess who had returned.  She did not return on the side of the darkness, but to fight against it.  Xena battled alongside Hercules against an army that had once been hers.  She had indeed made her choice and it was the next step toward her journey into the light.

     Xena was an experienced warrior and knew that in order to win this battle she must destroy the leader.  She went for Darphus and dueled against him.  His greed driven style did not stand the test for Xena’s passion was more fierce.  She quickly ended their duel to the death thrusting her sword through the chest of her rival.  Upon his death the rest of Darphus’s men fled.  They could not stand alone without their dark leader.  Hercules and Salmoneous found themselves surprised yet satisfied for Xena was on her way to redemption though she did not know it.  As Xena washed the blood from many battles from her hands she was confronted by Hercules.  He was curious to know what had swayed her.  She spoke of how her army had not been true warriors.  Xena’s code demanded that she stop their darkness before it grew beyond control. 

    But her choice had not impressed the scout who was still angry at her for his loss.  He spoke of how his wife and baby could not be saved by her one good deed.  Hercules tried to calm his rage, but Salmoneous reminded all that Xena had saved at least one child from harm.  This restored the hopes of the scout.  He asked Xena if the child had a birth mark on its left leg.  Xena confirmed that indeed it had.  This positively identified the scout’s good fortune.  Despite the loss of his wife his child still lived.  It was because of Xena’ s first choice to do good.  Yet Xena was not willing to give the child to his father without an argument.  It was this child that she had believed to cause her to lose her army.  The father of the child prepared to challenge her no matter the cost.  He would have gladly given his life to have his child safely within his arms. 

       Hercules stepped in to resolve this conflict, but Xena had made another choice.  She resolved it by commending the father on his bravery for his son.  Xena had wanted to be certain that the child she had given so much for would grow up to be a brave man like his father.  And with that she had decided that she wanted to travel alongside Hercules for a while.  Hercules accepted her company and was delighted at her choice.  Xena knew that she could learn much from the legendary hero and with that Xena has turned good.  For her destiny now is to fight for the innocent and that is what she has done.