The Xena Scrolls

By:  Gabrielle Bard of Potedia

Scroll  # 6:  The Reckoning

October, 49 B.C.

      Life is like a stream for the water it carries is the like the blood that runs through our veins.  Only the water is the earth’s blood which supports all life.  And a stream is full of peace and tranquility like life itself.  As I thought of these things I was enjoying a bath when my own peace and tranquility was interrupted by the sound of Argo’s hooves pounding upon the hillside.  And then I heard Xena calling out frantically for me.  I couldn’t imagine what all of the rush was about so I invited her to join me in my serenity, but there was seemingly no time for enjoyment.  Xena quickly grabbed my arm as I rose from the stream with only my undergarments and a handful of rags.  She threw me up onto her horse and then we rode through the canyon and to the top of the mountain like a bolt of Zeus’s anger.

     When we finally reached the top of the mountain and slowed down I was immediately intrigued by the warrior princess’s haste.  What could have upset her so much that we had to ride away from it so fast?  She spoke of a battle which had ensued between herself and a dark hooded man.  Immediately my curiosity was raised for this sounded like a most exciting adventure.  Xena continued by explaining that after I had separated from her an hour earlier she had heard the sounds of suffering coming from just over the hill.  When Xena went to investigate she found four innocent farmer’s being slaughtered by this hooded man.  Not only had he murdered them in cold blood, but he was also robbing them of their money.  When Xena finally arrived at the scene she confronted the hooded man hoping that she could save the last man who was clinging to life.

     The dark shadow snickered at her arrival and seemed delighted at her challenge.  And so the battle began as Xena flipped into action, but so did her rival.  He was seemingly just as quick if not quicker than she had been for with every move she made he had the counter that could beat it.  Their swords clashed like the powers upon Olympus as Xena struggled to defeat this most terrible murderer.  He seemingly mocked her as she began to lose her breath, but she was determined not to lose against him.  The hooded man swung his sword showing off his skills as the warrior princess grinned back laughing inside for she had a secret for she knew who he actually was.  As the hooded man sensed that she had discovered his identity he charged forward toward the warrior princess as she charged toward him.  And then suddenly he flipped over her and vanished into thin air.

     After the enemy had disappeared Xena immediately tended to the wounded man still living.  She took the string off of his money pouch and tied it around his thigh hoping to stop the loss of blood from his gaping leg wound.  Next she tended to his shoulder and neck wound by using her sword and his weak hand to apply pressure.  As she was going over the rest of the scene to see if there were any more possible survivors the people of their nearby village came dashing over the hill to aid their loved ones.  When Xena began to explain to them what had happened the townspeople accused her of being the villain for she had been the one they had spotted at the scene and she had blood all over her hands and sword. 

     Quickly Xena realized that she looked very guilty although she had not been the one at fault.  Understanding the mentality of simple villagers Xena quickly fled the scene upon her horse Argo and escaped to the top of the mountain to plan our escape.  When I asked her who she thought the hooded man was she just described him as one who could match her own skill which seemingly intrigued her yet it was obvious to me that she had only an idea, but was not certain of his identity. 

     Later that evening as the sun began to go down Xena, Argo, and I began descending down the mountain to avoid capture.  Unfortunately there was only one way back out of the pass and that was Xena’s worst fear.  She hoped that the village people would not be bold enough to try to capture her in the cover of darkness, but suddenly Argo became very upset throwing me from her back onto the ground.  There were traps set everywhere waiting for us.  Suddenly, Xena and I found ourselves surrounded by a mob of angry villagers.  They picked me up and held me captive as Xena flipped from her horse and faced them drawing her sword for her back.  She swung it around her head in a threatening motion demanding that these people let me go for she was the one that they truly had been after.

      The leader of the village people then stepped forward and commanded his people to do what the warrior princess had asked.  I was certain that she would spring into action, but instead she did something unexpected.  She dropped her sword surrendering to the people without a single defense.  Then one of the farmers from behind her knocked her unconscious with his pitchfork.  My eyes could not believe what they were seeing.  For the first time the warrior princess had given up without a fight.  The worst part of it all was that she was not guilty yet the villagers placed her into their jail for she was to go to trial for her wrongs.

      On the next morning I decided to go and visit her.  When I went inside I saw the mighty warrior princess with her arms tied uncomfortably above her head.  She looked like she was in pain yet Xena did not complain.  Instead she was more concerned for my safety scolding me for not running away and getting out of here.  I was slightly offended that the warrior princess had little faith in my ability to help her the way that she had helped me out of my execution by the Biochian king.  As a friend I could understand that we all make mistakes and that just happened to be my mistake.  Now Xena’s mistake had put her in a tight spot and as her friend I wanted to help.  I promised her that I would find a way to get her out of this horrible prison and then I set out to find the leader of the villagers.

     My first stop was to see the judge and to plead Xena’s case with him.  He told me that Xena was indeed entitled to a defender, but that defender would be an appointed one.  Now this did not seem fair to me since the defender would indeed be swayed by local opinion.  I pleaded with the judge to allow me to be her defender for I believed in her and could most certainly prove her innocence.  After many long moments of haggling I finally got my way.  The judge appointed me as Xena’s defender.  Okay so now that I could use my words to help a friend I had to find more than words.  I had to find hard evidence to prove Xena’s innocence. 

      I set off toward the murder scene for I would most certainly find evidence there.  As I walked about and studied it carefully I discovered something most interesting.  I leaned down to the ground for a closer look and better observation.  Then I put my elbow into the muddy foot print which had been left behind by the true murderer.  Suddenly, I was full of excitement and I had to share it with the judge for if this did not prove Xena to be innocent then nothing else could.  I dashed back to the village as fast as I could and finally caught up to the judge out of breath.  Then I asked the judge to come back to the murder scene with me so that I could show him my discovery.  On the way there I explained to him that I had found two sets of foot prints which had been toe to toe.  One of them was a larger print than the other, but both sets of foot prints had indeed been made by warrior boots.  It was very unlikely that any of the victims would wear warrior boots.

      The judge’s interest was piqued and as we entered the murder scene I ran directly to the place in which I had found the foot prints.  Yet when I went back to the spot on the hill there was nothing.  Not a trace of a print was left and to me it was quite mysterious for I knew what I had seen.  The judge was irritated for I had seemingly wasted his time, but I had indeed made a discovery that someone didn’t want me to make.  Of course this made my job a little more difficult since the evidence had suddenly been tampered with.

     Upon my return to the village the angry lynch mob had taken control while the judge had been with me studying the murder scene.  They had brought Xena out into the streets of the village and prepared to drag her through the village tied to a cart pulled by a horse.  It was a most awful scene to see for these were just simple peaceful villagers and somehow overnight they had turned into bloodthirsty animals.  I could not understand this and I was angered inside that they did not want to hear what the truth really was.  I approached my friend and took hold of the rope tying it around my neck.  I declared to the farmer whom had hit my friend the night before that if he and his bloodthirsty friends were going to murder one of us why not murder two of us. 

     He did not understand my point for he was certain that I was not guilty and there was no reason to take my life.  And then the judge intervened stating to his people that there indeed would be a fair trial for the warrior princess.  There would be no sentences carried out until a true verdict was reached.  Justice had to be carried out before another murder would be allowed.  Then the judge unwrapped my ropes and stood his ground standing before his people.  He told them that if they were so impatient then they would have to kill his guards, and him before they could kill another.

      Then Xena was taken back to the prison.  I went in again to visit her and to give her moral support.  I was determined to allow justice to prevail for I was certain of its power.  Xena however, was not for she insisted that I go without her.  But I could not do that because friends do not leave friends behind, and although I was no warrior I could still win this battle yet.  Xena had little faith in her friend, but we were going to win this one together. 

       Early the next morning the trial began.  It was a long trial that last almost an entire day.  There was testimony after testimony of villagers who had claimed that they had witnessed my friend as being the murderer.  When I questioned the wife of one of the victims she insisted despite hearing swords clashing that there had not been another warrior who could have been the killer.  Then the farmer who had led the powerful mob came to the stand.  He insisted that the blood everywhere and upon the hands of the warrior princess proved her guilt.  When I asked him if he had ever helped anyone injured on his farm he answered that he had.  And then I asked him if he had ever gotten their blood onto his hands he said that indeed he had.  This clever mob leader could see where I was taking him, and immediately tried to dissolved my defense.  His excuse was that he had been helping those people as was Xena.  She had been using her fine medical knowledge to assist the injured men.

      And then another farmer was called to the stand.  He had been a friend of one of the victims.  As I questioned him he would not budge.  He tried to turn things around by asking me where Xena had put the money that had been taken from the victims.  For that I did not have an answer because Xena had not committed robbery and murder.  Suddenly, I found myself in despair.  I was so frustrated for no one seemed to care to hear or to see the truth.  All they seemed to care about was making an example of someone.  I could see that I was losing fast until  the star witness was released into the court.  Pericles had been the man who Xena had saved.  He was still quite weak and barely able to speak.  The judge questioned him as he told his story to the court. 

      Pericles’s story was weak.  He only stated that he had heard swords clashing above him and that he had remembered being struck down.  And then he said that the last thing he remembered before falling out was Xena standing over him covered in his own blood.  He said it with such defiance as if he had been prepared before entering the court.  It was all a lie, and I had to prove to the jury that he had been lying to them.  As I began to question him on Xena’s behalf the judge declared that the hearing was over.  How that could have been I’ll never understand for the defense never had the opportunity to question the star witness and to truly present its case.

     After the trial had ended and deliberations among the jury began I knew that Xena would be convicted no matter the truth.  I was saddened that I had failed my friend unable to save her from a death sentence.  There was only one thing left to do.  I decided to go down to visit her in the dungeon once more.  As I walked down the stairs with sadness and defeat I approached Xena.  She had escaped from her cell and was beating the guards in rage.  It was a side of Xena that I had never seen before.  It was like she had become a monster and an animal.  Then when I finally reached my friend she unleashed her anger upon me knocking me across my face violently to the ground.  I had never before felt so much power and hatred through a simple slap across the face, but it hurt terribly.  It hurt inside and out.  Immediately I rushed to my feet and walked away back up the stairs as Xena’s rage suddenly halted.  She looked to me with regretful eyes, and then turned away to help those that she had unleashed her rage upon. 

     Xena apologized to these men and then I began to understand why she had surrendered herself in the beginning.  It was because of all of the guilt that she was feeling inside for all of the wrongs that she had already committed within her past.

Xena would have allowed them to kill her despite her innocence within their own tragedy.  And then the judge broke the news that she could not be sentenced for her crimes against the men who were murdered, but she would be sentenced for her crimes against the prison guards.

     Later that night I decided to return after realizing what Xena had been trying to do.  I had a plan to help her escape for I did not want Xena to die when she could redeem her past sins by just doing the will of the innocent.  To me that was payment enough.  And so I took Argo to the window of the jail.  I was in disguise in the darkness as I tied the rope to the bars and then to Argo.  We were going to pull the bars out so that Xena could climb out. 

     At first Xena had felt shame for what she had done to the people in her past and to me, but I would not let her punish herself.  I also confessed to her that she had been right about justice not being what it was meant to be for people would always be its flaw.  And then Xena asked me to leave her alone again.  She said that she had another plan of escape.  I did not understand and was disappointed that she would not allow me to be the one who would save her.  Yet I had to understand my friend and let her choose what she must do in order to be okay with her own past.  As I left the prison Xena thanked me for coming back and for being there for her.  And then Argo and I left as we waited for the next morning to arrive.

      When the sun rose the village people began gathering in the square ready to watch the execution of the warrior princess.   I knew in my heart that Xena was going to escape it somehow, but I was unaware of the calculated plan that she had developed.  The guards brought her out before the crowd chained at the wrists and at the ankles.  She limped with sadness still feeling in her heart that she deserved her execution, yet she had so much responsibility for she had the power, and the courage to stop the pain.  Then the judge passed down the sentence to Xena.  As they prepared to tie her to the wagon the hooded man stepped forth.  Xena declared that he bring back the three good villagers who  had been killed.  Suddenly the crowd looked up and saw the three good men of their village alive and well.  Everyone was joyful for no one had died.  Then I asked the judge what the verdict was and he stated that Xena indeed was not guilty. 

      On our way down the path out of the village I asked Xena how she had been able to bring those men back to life.  She explained to me that it had been the power of the hooded man.  The hooded man’s true identity had been Ares the god of war.  Xena explained that Ares had come to her while she was in prison.  He had set framed her for the murders of those innocent farmers knowing that she would be convicted without question.  Ares had wanted to restore Xena to her darkness for he dreamed that she would command his army and take the world.  There were only two things that had prevented him from accomplishing that goal.  One had been the deal that he had offered Xena.  He had offered her any of the warriors of history to be a part of her army living or dead.  So that was how she brought the villagers back to life, but the other thing that he had not expected was the persistence of a loyal friend.