The Xena Scrolls
By: Gabrielle Bard of Potedia
Scroll #24: The Greater Good

September, 48 B.C.

Gabrielle a bard in training. Working diligently with her staff attempting to perfect the art of the warrior. Her victim was Xena’s noble horse Argo as she moved forward across, over, and back with the staff in the face of her four-legged enemy. Argo and Gabrielle were constantly at odds seemingly competing for the affections of the warrior princess. It was very well-known to the bard that Argo was number one though Gabrielle fought for the spot with great conviction. Just when Gabrielle finished her move and was certain to be victorious in her training session before the great white enemy she heard Xena call out to her faithful horse. Suddenly Argo called back the way only a horse could. Gabrielle suddenly realized what was coming next, but before she could move to defend Argo disarmed the bard with a swift back kick sending the staff flying a great distance.
Then Xena emerged as Gabrielle complained that she would never learn the art of her staff if she were constantly interrupted by jokes shared only between Xena and Argo. Xena walked over to Argo and began stroking her horse as she held Argo’s reigns. Then the warrior princess whispered that one must have patience with those who annoy them. Gabrielle had retrieved her staff from its resting place and was securing it away into Argo’s saddle bag. Her response to Xena was clearly that it wasn’t that Argo annoyed the bard, but that Argo did not particularly like Gabrielle. Xena then spoke up and declared that she had not been talking to Gabrielle, but Argo when she had spoken of the annoyance. Suddenly the bard found herself annoyed and feeling belittled by the relationship between the warrior princess and her mighty white steed.
Xena had decided that she would leave the two of them alone together hoping that they could make amends and learn to like each other. Then the warrior princess whispered into Argo’s ear asking her horse to give the bard a fair chance while she was not present. Xena then left the bard alone with Argo as she went to seek out a nearby well. When the warrior princess approached the well she found herself relieved for she had needed to quench her thirst. Water had been scarce during the recent season and just as the warrior princess was about to bask in its cool essence someone came out of the woods from behind and called out to her. This startled the warrior princess momentarily as she spun around spilling her cup of paradise. The visitor was a young girl warning of the warlord Talmadeaous who had declared war upon her village. Talmadeous seeked to find Lord Seltzer who was a prominent and well-loved figure within her village. The young girl pleaded with the warrior princess for her help. Xena quickly acted realizing that her next mission was calling.
As Gabrielle tried very hard to get to know Argo better she decided to try easing her way back onto Argo’s saddle. Before Xena had left she had told Gabrielle to be sure that Argo’s saddle was tight which meant that the bard should try warming up to Argo. Gabrielle carefully stroked Argo’s neck and spoke to Xena’s horse softly. Then she stepped one foot into the stirrup, and began to rise to the triumph she seeked. Just as the bard was about to rest easily upon Argo’s saddle for a ride Xena whistled for Argo to come to her. Argo quickly ignored the bard’s efforts to become faithful friends as she quickly reacted to her command and discarded Gabrielle violently back onto the ground. The bard felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck as she landed upon her back and knocked her head down onto the ground. Gabrielle became infuriated at Argo’s lack of courtesy as she rose to curse the four-legged enemy. Yet before the bard could respond Argo had disappeared into the woods in pursuit of her true friend Xena.
As always the warrior princess and Argo had left Gabrielle in the dust charging off into another adventure. Gabrielle was only left with the hooves to followed as she tracked them down into the next village. There the bard witnessed the end result of a battle between the warrior princess and the army of Talmadeous. It was clear by the celebration that Xena had defeated the army as they fled the scene. Gabrielle also caught sight of the salesman known as Salmoneous. He was very excited to see Xena and welcomed her into the village with appreciation and open arms. The last time the bard had seen him they had spent a lot of time in Zercies dungeon yet it had been his fault for arguing with the bard over some tomatoes. This time Salmoneous seemed much happier and vibrant in his step. He was now the leader of this small village as he had suckered them into working for his own interests.
As Xena threw her arm around his shoulder she shouted out his name loudly, but Salmoneous asked that he be known as Lord Seltzer. Xena found herself to be amused that he was the well-loved Lord Seltzer. She was almost irritated that it had been the knifing salesman that she had dashed off to save. When Gabrielle joined into the conversation she asked Salmoneous how he had been able to do it. Salmoneous explained that Lord Seltzer had caused this little village to grow and to prosper in a way that it had never done before. He explained that his product was the thing that gave everyone their kick. Of course as always he was pitching his product, but Gabrielle grabbed one of the sacred bottles of his miracle product only to discover that it was seltzer water. Naturally the skilled salesman continued to defend the legitimacy of his product yet the people of this village seemed happy and as bubbly as the seltzer they consumed.
Xena then asked Salmoneous what Talmadeous had against Lord Seltzer. She asked him what kind of products he had sold to the warlord to make him want to go after the salesman. At first Salmoneous delcared that he had never done a single transaction with the warlord. He continued managing his willing staff all the while. But Xena knew that a warlord like Talmadeous would not go after a single salesman without a just cause despite the reputation. Finally Salmoneous broke his silence explaining that there was just one transaction. It had been a sale of talgamite swords and belt buckles to Talmadeous and his army. Suddenly Xena knew exactly what had happened for talgamite had the appearance of strong metal until it was exposed to the element of water. Salmoneous continued to defend his products and sales as he explained that things would have worked out beautifully had it not rained on the day of the big battle.
Then the great Lord Seltzer was called away by his people. It was clear to the warrior princess that the people of this small village would not be safe as long as they worshipped and protected Lord Seltzer. And if that was to be then Xena had to be certain to disband Talmadeous and his army for they would continue to return and sack the village until they got the return for their losses.
Soon Xena, Gabrielle, and Argo were on their way to track down Talmadeous and his army. They followed the trail of evidence which led them to their enemy. Xena instructed Gabrielle to wait in the brush while she took on the small-scale army. Xena walked alongside Argo quietly. The two were just behind Talmadeous’s unsuspecting army. No one noticed that Xena and Argo were there though they blended into the group quite well. The warrior princess smiled with delight as she listened in on the plans to rid Talmadeous of her presence in the village. Then she decided that it was time to show herself although she had been visible the entire time. She called out to Talmadeous who rode at the head. The warrior princess waved to him candidly and then smiled again.
Talmadeous’s face reacted with anger as he commanded his men to attack his annoying enemy. The men charged forward with their weapons attempting to take out the warrior princess, but instead she flipped forth giving her battle cry which signaled the fight was on. She did not choose her weapon to defeat the twenty men before her. Instead she spun forward with the speed and agility of the gods delivering punches and fury along the lines. Talmadeous’s men were no match for the warrior princess as they fell to the ground like fruit tumbling out of the wagon at the market. This effortless defeat without a single clash of the sword drove Talmadeous into a rage. He turned about to face his enemy jumping off of his horse and readying his sword to battle the warrior princess.
Xena was up for the challenge as she drew her own sword. Then the duel was begun as their mighty swords clashed like thunder. It was as if the power of Zues could be felt by all who witnessed the battle. Surprisingly Talamadeous was stronger and more skilled than any of the other warlords that she had seen Xena go up against. The two struggled within their brawn and muscle as they disarmed each other in a stalemate. Xena went for her sword and rose to take her enemy, but just as she was about to strike back he kicked her through her stomach. The mighty warrior princess fell back as if unable to sustain the power of the blow. This seemed unusual to the bard for a kick to the stomach and rib area was not usually that serious.
Quickly the battle went into the favor of the warlord as he continued to charge forward laughing as he discovered that Xena was suddenly weakened. Gabrielle did not understand and became very concerned that Xena seemed unable to fight back. The warrior princess continued to take blow after blow as if she could not see or even stay focused. Her legs gave out as she received another kick Her sword was lost to her now as she frantically searched with her hand. Talmadeous was certain of his victory as he declared death upon the warrior princess. There was fear within Xena’s eyes that Gabrielle had never seen within them before. The bard knew this was serious and could not allow the warrior princess to be killed by Talmadeous. Gabrielle suddenly entered into the battle against the warlord to save her friend’s life. The bard sprung up from her place in the brush and ran toward Talmadeous. Then she launched her staff through the air disarming Talmadeous with an accurate blow.
She ran to the aid of the fallen warrior princess as Xena struggled to whistle a command for Argo. Argo came out of her own station in the brush and joined Xena and Gabrielle. The bard helped the warrior princess struggle to her feet as Xena grabbed for Argo’s saddle. Gabrielle held onto the other side and then signaled for Argo to take them away from the dangerous enemy. Soon Argo had taken the friends back to the safety of the village. Xena was escorted immediately to Lord Seltzer’s factory where Gabrielle removed the warrior princess’s armor and scolded her friend harshly for keeping her health a secret. The warrior princess halted Gabrielle’s frustrations with her secret. Then Xena explained to Gabrielle that while battling Talmadeous’s army initially to free the village from its terror she was hit by a poison dart that came from an origin unknown. Xena described it as having traveled beyond the trees a short distance from the gates of the village. The dart had not been fired by the men of Talmadeous’s army. Gabrielle then became concerned asking the warrior princess to reveal how serious her situation was. Xena spoke of how her legs were no longer functioning and that she did not actually know the seriousness of the poison. The warrior princess continued with the bad news by explaining that things would get much worse before they would get much better. She expected her arms to go next. Gabrielle’s concern shifted to worry as she looked to Xena for certainty, but Xena could not offer it to her this time.
Salmoneous entered into the conversation with grave concern over the new turn of events. He was cowardly as always and thinking of only himself. Salmoneous questioned Xena and Gabrielle demanding to know who would lead the next battle against Talmadeous and his army when they returned. The warrior princess soon looked to Gabrielle for she had the most amazing idea. She explained that they had to make it look as if the warrior princess was healthy. Although Talmadeous believed otherwise Xena had confidence that her loyal friend Gabrielle could pull off the miracle. Gabrielle found herself the volunteer of a charade like no other before it. The warrior princess asked her friend to put on the powerful armor which protected her in every battle.
Gabrielle was reluctant yet soon taken by the excitement of playing the part of the warrior princess she admired most. As the bard put on the leather suit she basked in the glory and the feeling of the leather arm bands with the gold-plated armor. The heavy leather boots ran away with her imagination. And the gold-plated leather knee pads slid like a glove over the bard’s knees. Every piece of the warrior suit seemed to fit snuggly and perfectly upon the bard until she reached the mighty golden breast-plate. As Gabrielle hooked the bronze latches together she looked up with a grin toward her mentor as Xena smiled with delight. Suddenly one of the bronze latches released itself and the breast-plate fell down a bit. The bard was disappointed that her breasts were unable to carry the golden plate with the same pride as those of the warrior princess, but it could be adjusted. Gabrielle summoned Salmoneous over to make the proper adjustments.
He tied the leather pieces from behind the shiny leather body suit and asked Gabrielle with her hair dyed black whether or not she could do Xena’s battle cry. It was obvious that the seltzer king was not confident of Xena’s plan. Gabrielle gave it a try, but it didn’t quite have the same power and the same zest as did the warrior princess. Then he tightened the strings on the suit even more as Gabrielle tried once again. The suit was suddenly too tight as the bard squeaked out another battle cry. Salmoneous declared that the second cry would be much more convincing than the first one. Then Xena summoned Gabrielle to her side once again. The bard joined Xena as Xena gave her a wooden chackram knowing that only the hand of the warrior princess could tame its wrath.
Then Xena looked into Gabrielle’s eyes with assurance, yet with a message of caution. She spoke softly asking the bard to remember that riding into this next battle against Talmedeous would be different from any other battle that the bard had fought in before. Xena reassured Gabrielle of her confidence in her student, yet she warned Gabrielle that she must understand her own limits despite the skills she had obtained. Gabrielle understood this as she looked to the warrior princess for guidance always. The bard knew better than to go against what the warrior princess said. Xena’s words had always been the right words. Her actions seemed always to understand the duty. Gabrielle could see that her friend’s condition was becoming more difficult. The bard longed to be able to offer some kind of comfort to the warrior princess, but Xena then reminded her that this was no longer about her own well-being. Xena spoke of something she called the greater good. The greater good meant that every battle that Xena every entered into she was reminded of all the villagers and innocents she had victimized in her dark past. She told the bard that she always went into battle knowing that she may die for the greater good. That was what mattered most to the warrior princess and she urged the bard to understand this.
Gabrielle struggled to understand how someone could put a random cause and a random village before one’s own survival. But then she realized that was what made the warrior princess do good. It was what made Xena a great warrior. The greater good was the driving force within the heart of the warrior princess and it was the light which Xena could see and understand within. Then Xena told Gabrielle that she would most likely have to ride into battle to make things more convincing. Gabrielle was against the idea of teaming up with Argo for their relationship had always been rocky. Yet Xena urged Gabrielle to give Argo another chance. The warrior princess had faith in Argo’s own sense of loyalty. She was certain Argo would be there for Gabrielle in battle as she always had been for Xena. Then Xena asked Gabrielle if she had ever had a pet. Gabrielle spoke of the pony she once had whose name was Tymany. Xena tried to ease the bard’s nerves as she allowed the bard to talk about her pony. Then Xena asked Gabrielle if she had left Tympany with Lilla back home. Sadly Gabrielle reported that Tympany had left her behind in death one day when she had become very ill. Xena then urged Gabrielle on toward her duty to the greater good.
Gabrielle went outside to join Argo. There was a bit of excitement in the air for she found it very easy to climb upon the tall steed. Argo was patient with the nervous bard and then Gabrielle gave a whistle hoping to command Argo to ride into battle. But Argo did not ride. Instead Argo sat down as Salmoneous watched in despair of the mistake. Then Salmoneous tried to help by giving his version of the call to battle. Salmoneous was able to get Argo to rise once again and with a second unexpected whistle Argo dashed forth through the gates of the village with Gabrielle to face danger. Talmadeous and his army were camped very close to the village now as Gabrielle and Argo approached riding into battle triumphantly.
The two of them working together had taken Talmadeous and his army by surprise on their way back to camp. Gabrielle waved her staff in the air as she gave the warning of Xena’s battle cry. The blood rushed through her body as the anticipation of her enemy’s next move was present. Argo halted before the unsuspecting army as they could not believe what they had seen standing tall before them. Talmedeous’s men seemed confused for they were certain that Xena was unable to fight. Yet there she was the dark warrior woman. Gabrielle began to heed warnings to the enemy threatening to use her chackram against them. Talmedaeous’s men were not fearful of the resurrection of the fallen warrior princess. Instead they charged forth. Just as Gabrielle tried to give the command to ride Argo again knelt down. The bard found herself falling out of character, but she covered her mistake by declaring that she bowed to her enemy before she would strike him down.
The bard tried once again to give the correct command. She finally found it and Argo shot back up and dashed forth through Talmadeous’s troups. Gabrielle gave the battle cry once more waiving her staff in the air leading the army back toward the village in a chase. There awaiting Talmadeous’s army was a force of new warriors ready to defend and to attack. As Gabrielle rode in she positioned the enemy and declared that they had only one more chance to surrender to the wrath of the warrior princess. Talmadeous’s men were fearless in the face of their tall dark enemy as they charged forward. Gabrielle then pulled her wooden chackram and hurled out toward the enemy.
The warrior princess though weak and barely able to hold herself up peeked out from the door of the factory and threw out the real round weapon that took Talmadeous’s army by surprise. Then the weapon returned to the hand of its commander as Xena then gave another command to the newly built village army. The villagers came out of hiding with their seltzer weapons and fired upon their enemy. Talmadeous’s men were unprepared for this force. It was the force of a will known only by those who embraced the good. Then a second line of seltzer fighters advanced delivering another surprise attack. The first line of fighters charged forward in hand to hand combat which ended quickly as the army of Talmadeous fled from battle.
For the moment it looked as if good had won out over evil yet the evil was not yet eradicated. Gabrielle soon returned to Xena’s side seeing that the warrior princess was even more weak than she had been before Argo had taken Gabrielle into battle. The bard became saddened once more for she was afraid of losing her friend. Xena once again assured the young student that the best thing that she could do was continue on fighting. She expressed the feeling of duty to the greater good once more reminding the bard that it was their only reason for being in the village with Lord Seltzer’s people.
Salmoneous appeared once more to congratulate Xena for the success of their first battle without her mighty skills. Xena advised Salmoneous that he must not only be concerned for his seltzer products, but that he must also be mindful of his people. Salmoneous shrugged off the warrior princess’s request still unable to grasp the concept of the greater good. He then continued to command his workers as if the war had already been won. Then Xena asked Gabrielle to do something for her. She requested that if the end was to come for her then she wanted to be taken home to Amphipolis. Xena’s last wish was to be buried alongside her brother Lycious. Gabrielle understood, but held onto her hope that Xena would pull through this. Then Xena gave Gabrielle some new weapons to use in a second attack against Talmadeous. Again Gabrielle would have to play the part riding into Talmadeous’s camp with Argo. Xena hoped that duty would easy the bard’s worry. Gabrielle’s confidence had been secured after succeeding in the first battle as Xena the warrior princess. The bard then took the weapons provided to her and went off with Argo once more.
She and Argo set up an attack point just outside of Talmadeous’s camp where she prepared to launch the fire bombs that Xena had given her. Once the weapons were ready Gabrielle gave out the battle cry and then began to launch the fire balls into Talmadeous’s camp to disrupt their confidence. The goal was to be sure that Talmadeous would think twice about going up against the warrior princess again. After attacking with all of the available weapons Gabrielle jumped up upon Argo as the rode into Talmedaeous’s camp storming the distraught soldiers. Men scrambled in chaos to stop the fires which had attacked their camp. Gabrielle gave another prideful battle cry swinging her staff in the air in triumph.
Just as the warrior was about to ride through the camp and leave Talmadeous behind she was stopped by a counter attack as Argo was spooked by Talmadeous. Argo threw the warrior off her saddle into a troph of chilling water. Gabrielle desperately tried to recover quickly hoping that she had not lost her momentum and advantage. But it was clear to Talmadeous that this was not the warrior princess who has been wreaking havoc with his men. Talmadeous pulled the bard from the water and laughed. He could not believe that he and his men had allowed the young girl to fool them so easily. Yet Talmadeous was impressed with the spirit of the bard as she tried desperately to talk him out of taking her life.
Talmadeous explained that soon he would send company with her into death so that they could join together in the ride upon the boat of Charon. Just as the dark force was about to take his victim Argo leaped into action. She began delivering kicks of furious rage knocking down a dozen of Talmadeous’s men. Talmadeous was outraged by the bravery of the horse and the bard. He demanded that the horse be killed. Argo had saved Gabrielle’s life the way she had been there for Xena many times before. As Gabrielle rushed to rejoin her new comrade she knew that they could be true friends. Then she gave the command and Argo escaped the wrath of Talmadeous with Gabrielle upon her saddle. The new friends rode out together as Gabrielle gave another triumphant battle cry.
The excitement of being the warrior princess and wearing her armor was intense. Yet Gabrielle knew that their situation was dire for now their cover had been blown. She rushed back to the village with Argo to warn Xena of the danger which was about to engulf the village. Her sense of duty drove her like never before, but when she arrived back at the village she discovered that all was dark and quiet. The entire village was holding a candle light vigil for the fallen warrior princess. There standing before them was their leader Lord Seltzer. As if the situation couldn’t have been worse Gabrielle rushed forth toward the body that lay underneath the cover upon the altar. She did not want to believe that Xena had left her behind. It was more than the young bard could deal with. Her heart hoped that when she would lift the cover that it would be someone else underneath. Yet the look upon the face of Salmoneous told the story that Gabrielle did not want to hear.
Slowly the bard pulled back the cover and there beneath it was the one person she did not wish to see. The motionless limp body of the mighty warrior princess lay still. There were not sounds and no rise and fall of the chest. Gabrielle knelt down quietly in mourning now knowing that her nightmare was real. It was even more real than her day as the warrior princess had been. All seemed lost as the bard touched the eyes which were closed and at rest. She felt the clammy chill of a body which had been recently taken. The bard began to stroke the silky dark hair of the warrior princess hoping to be comforted by it somehow. Then her heart trembled with tears as her eyes began to well up. Gently the bard continued to stroke the hair of her fallen friend, and then her head began to fall onto the chest of the motionless warrior. Salmoneous then knelt down behind the bard and spoke softly. He struggled to bring her back to the duty which was still calling out. He suggested that everyone flee the village to escape certain death.
In that moment the bard snapped out of her painful grief for just one moment realizing that running away had never been what Xena would have chosen to do. The odds of the situation did not matter. Xena had always taught the bard that she must stand up and fight for what she believed in. The bard rose from her grief into command. She was firm as she instructed Salmoneous to prepare everyone for defenses. Gabrielle was certain that if the village built up its defenses that they would be able to hold off the enemy until she could return with help. She had heard that Iolas was in a village less than a day’s walk. With Argo Gabrielle could make the trip much more swiftly. She was certain that she could return with help before daybreak. And so Gabrielle left Salmoneous to lead his people to defend as she desperately tried to seek out support. Yet when Gabrielle arrived where she had expected to find Iolas he had already traveled on. She had been too late and she had failed. Gabrielle then rushed back to the village hoping to at least be able to help them to their escape, but when she returned in the early morning hours there was no one to be found. Not even the body of the warrior princess was present.
The bard felt more lost and afraid than ever before. Without Xena she could not do the good that needed to be done. Gabrielle needed Xena’s strength to guide her to make the right moves and to succeed in battle. As she traveled toward Talmadeous’s camp in defeat and deep despair she could take no more. Gabrielle stopped releasing her anger upon a tree in the darkness of the forest. The depth of her void was so great that Gabrielle could feel herself spinning out of control. She could not stop striking forth as her soul had been ripped apart. When her physical energy finally ceased Gabrielle fell to the ground still in despair. The bard tried desperately to focus as Xena had told her to do. And as Gabrielle had failed Xena so too did Salmoneous. He did not attempt to defend the village. Instead he led his people to Talmadeous’s camp hoping to strike up a deal with the warlord. He promised to Talmadeous the body of the fallen warrior princess, and himself in exchange for the safety and the freedom of his people.
Talmadeous agreed to the deal yet Salmoneous was unaware of the deals that warlords make. As soon as Salmoneous demanded resolution from the warlord Talmadeous betrayed the deal. It was a fitting end for the salesman who sold bad products to the warlord before. Talmadeous felt that it was the refund which he had seeked from the infamous Lord Seltzer. Soon Gabrielle arrived at Talmadeous’s camp alone. She watched as Talmadeous gloated in his victory. He thanked Salmoneous for selling out his people so that he could sell them as slaves. Soon Talmadeous prepared to kill Salmoneous, but he had a heart wrenching display planned for Salmoneous. He then brought forth the body of the fallen warrior and asked Salmoneous who had been the one that had killed her. Salmoneous did not know who had succeeded. Yet Talmadeous declared that title and that victory for himself despite the truth. He wanted the world to know him as he claimed fame to a prize he had not earned.
As Gabrielle continued to watch she saw that Argo had also been captured. Talmadeous was preparing to tear Xena’s body apart by the force of the horses pulling it to pieces. If Gabrielle could succeed at nothing else she had to save Xena’s body for she had promised Xena that she would take it back to her home in Amphipolis. It had been Xena’s last request to be buried next to her brother Lycious. Gabrielle had failed in battle, but she could not bear to fail her friend even in death. And so the bard charged into battle with rage and determination. She took out a circle of twenty men charging forward toward the enemy. As she approached the unsuspecting warlord she disarmed him of his sword with her staff and then caught it. Gabrielle dropped her staff in exchange for the sharp sword. She was prepared to kill the warlord if she had to.
As her anger boiled within her heart Talmadeous teased his new found enemy. He was not at all in fear of the young warrior. Instead he mocked her telling her that she did not know how to hold a sword properly. He continued to erode her confidence as he declared that she could not continue on against him for much longer. Talmadeous knew that he would defeat her in the end despite her passion and love within. Gabrielle began to sense that her judgement was truly clouded by the vengeance she felt rising up inside. Then Talmadeous told her that in one flicker of the eye he would have her. Gabrielle looked down at the sword which she held thinking of Talmadeous’s words. Suddenly he had her disarmed and held at the point of a dagger. The bard felt helpless once again. There before her was the warrior princess about to be taken away forever. The bard’s only comfort now was in knowing that she would soon be reunited upon the boat of Charon to travel into eternity within the underworld.
Then Talmadeous gave the command and the men whipped the horses. Yet neither horse moved despite the pain being delivered. They held steady not allowing Xena’s body to be defiled by evil. It was in that moment that Talmadeous realized that Xena’s horse was responsible for halting his desires. Suddenly Talmadeous declared death upon Argo. One of the men then raised his weapon to take Argo’s life. Just as the sword came down a miracle came to pass. The warrior princess rose from her death and stopped the weapon short of its victim. She had come to Argo’s defense and began to fight against the evil which surrounded her. Gabrielle could not believe what she had just witnessed. Her heart-felt a relief in knowing that the mighty warrior princess would battle on. The bard struggled to break free from her capture as the warrior princess battled in nothing, but her under garments. She fought without weapons skillfully and with great confidence. Her strength could not be matched by Talmedeous’s men. Xena then reached for Gabrielle’s staff upon the ground and knocked down two more enemies.
Quickly she threw the staff to the bard who freed herself from her capture with the weapon she was most familiar. Gabrielle dashed across the battle and began to scold Xena for leaving her. She demanded that the warrior princess never attempt that trial again. But Xena reminded the chatting sidekick that they were in the middle of a fierce battle against evil forces. There was not time to discuss the issue of death. Duty called and then the bard suddenly jumped into warrior form. She fought fiercely and skillfully. The villagers found themselves inspired by the miracle as well. They took up arms and began to fight alongside the warrior princess and the bard against the wrath of evil. The forces of good united were enough to defy the plans of the dark forces.
There was only one score left to settle. Xena and Talmadeous had a rematch of their previous battle in which Xena fell ill. Though the odds seemed again in Talmadeous’s favor Xena’s godlike strength challenged the armed Talmadeous. He was confident that he would be victorious over the mighty warrior princess, but she was determined to defeat him. They struggled as Talmadeous prepared to take her life for the record of truth yet Xena locked him up within her brut force and flipped him into his defeat. Talmadeous landed into the chill of the infamous water troph where the villagers awaited him with their weapons. It was clear that he had been defeated and that there was no recourse for evil on this day.
Gabrielle had found it to be an exciting and wonderful experience to be the warrior princess for a day. Yet she also realized just how difficult the job was and noted that she had much more to learn from her best friend. There was no other warrior in the world greater and more skilled. No better teacher existed, and there was no other friend as loving and courageous as Xena. As the two best friends prepared to move on in their journey alongside one another Xena thanked her Gabrielle for the great courage and determination that she displayed attempting to take her home to Amphipolis. Xena was impressed that Gabrielle had been willing to give her life for her return. Gabrielle expressed that it had been the last wish of her best friend and it was worth giving her life for that cause no matter the cost. The two friends shared a moment of appreciation for one another and Gabrielle felt great emotion within. There was a flood of relief about to shed itself in tears, but Gabrielle held strong. She did not want to think about another nightmare like the one she had just experienced.
Quickly the bard changed the subject inquiring the warrior princess about her injury, and of the poison dart which had struck her. Xena confirmed that it was still a mystery for she did not know who it had been that had struck her. Yet she was determined to find the answer for the one who had sent her to her death and back had known exactly what it was he had been doing. Gabrielle had thought Xena played the part of death, but Xena confirmed that she truly had gone to the other side. The warrior princess had to travel there in order to fight against the poison tomac. Yet as the warrior princess had battled against the poison to return to the bard Gabrielle had to battle for the will of the greater good. She had learned so much more in Xena’s brief death than she had ever learned in the days before it.