FADE IN

Xena riding through a densely wooded forest. Darion is seated in the saddle behind her. Gabrielle can be seen to the rear, guarding their backs. Xena and Darion ride in silence a few moments before he yanks on her scabbard to get her attention.

XENA (twists her head to look back at him):
     What now?

Darion lifts himself to whisper in her ear.

XENA:
     Again? (he nods frantically and with a sigh, she slips down out of the saddle and holds out her arms, lifting him to the ground.) Okay--but this is going to be the last stop for awhile. Make it last.

DARION:
     I will! Promise, Xena!

Darion runs off into the bushes and Gabrielle comes up alongside Argo. She glances in the direction that Darion has run and frowns with a shake of her head. Her reaction doesn't go unnoticed by Xena.

XENA:
     What?

GABRIELLE (a little annoyed):
     Xena, I wish you wouldn't always let him run off by himself like that.

XENA:
     What do you want me to do? Follow him into the bushes?

GABRIELLE:
     You could at least have taken a look before you let him run in there. How do you know there isn't a--

XENA:
     Gabrielle, you're way too overprotective of Darion and it's not going to do either one of you any good. You're going to end up smothering him--or...

Darion comes out of the bushes.

DARION (cheerily):
     All done!

Xena and Gabrielle glare at one another a moment. After a long, tense moment, Xena turns away.

XENA:
     Okay. Let's get moving. (she takes a step towards Darion in order to help him up into her saddle)

GABRIELLE:
     Darion--come ride with me for a while.

Xena shakes her head in disapproval as Gabrielle lifts Darion into the saddle in front of her.

CUT TO

The three of them riding through the forest. Darion is quiet, clearly thinking of something.

DARION:
     Won't the Amazons be mad that you're taking me back to their land?

GABRIELLE:
     Of course not! Their queen is a very special friend of yours.

DARION:
     You mean Eve, right? Eve is really nice--but I like Klymene more. She plays with me. (he is quiet a moment) Gabrielle, do you...do you think we're going to find Lykia?

GABRIELLE:
     I'm sure we will. That's why we're going out there, remember? We'll track down the bad people who took her and then we'll find out where Lykia is.

XENA (gently):
     Would you be able to help us, Darion? Can you tell us anything about the man that took your sister?

Darion bites his lip, the memories clearly still terrify him. Finally, he screws up his courage enough to speak.

DARION:
     He was wearing a mask.

XENA:
     A mask? What kind of--?

GABRIELLE (pointing up at the sky):
     Look, Darion! That cloud looks just like a fish. Don't you think so?

Darion squints up at the sky.

DARION:
     Where? I don't see...

GABRIELLE (points):
     There! See?

DARION (laughing):
     That's not a fish! That's a bear!

Xena sighs in frustration. It's obvious she's had this conversation before--with the same amount of success. She brings the reigns down on Argo and takes off.

CUT TO

Sunset at a small camp. Xena is there talking with Eve and a golden-haired girl of about fourteen--it's Klymene, the orphaned Amazon girl Eve befriended in "Sisterhood." As Gabrielle approaches, Eve turns and we can see that she is wearing the Queen's necklace that was Gabrielle's.

EVE (waves enthusiastically):
     Gabrielle!

CUT TO

A young man who seems to be in his early twenties, wearing a warrior's outfit of tan leather and a headband on his shoulder-length brown hair, is riding through another part of the Amazon forest. He stops, hearing a sound, and looks around. Everything is silent except for the rustle of trees and the chirping of birds. The young man nudges his horse in the sides and starts riding again when two dark shapes swoop down from the trees and fall upon him, taking him down to the ground.

The young man leaps to his feet and finds himself facing two tall Amazon scouts, one blonde, the other with light red hair. He draws his sword; the Amazons do likewise. He strikes and the two women parry his blows. After a few moments, he finds himself focused on sparring with the redhead while the blonde puts her sword to his neck.

AMAZON #1 (the blonde):
     Give it up.

The young man glares at the women, then lowers his sword.

CUT TO

Night has fallen. Xena, Eve and Gabrielle sit at the campfire. In the background, Klymene and Darion are playing a game. A faint "Hey! No fair!" can be heard from Darion.

EVE:
     Three days ago there was a raid on another village about half a day's ride from here.

XENA:
     Then tomorrow that's where we're headed. They might be able to put us on the trail of the gang that's behind this.

The sound of rustling underbrush and footsteps rapidly approaching can be heard. Gabrielle leaps to her feet, drawing her sais. Xena takes a moment longer to react. She jumps up but her sword remains sheathed. Eve holds up a hand.

EVE:
     It's all right! It's just Algiz and Urd, the scouts.

The two Amazons we saw before appear out of the underbrush; the young man walks before them at the points of their swords.

ALGIZ (the blonde Amazon):
     Look what we caught.

XENA (looks him up and down):
     What's this? A poacher?

URD (shakes her head):
     I don't think so. From the footprints, we think he was tracking you.

Xena's eyes widen slightly at the knowledge that she was unaware of someone following her.

Algiz gives the man a shove and he falls to his knees with a grunt.

TAPHIUS:
     A poacher? (he sniffs indignantly) I happen to be a warrior!

XENA:
     A warrior? (she smirks) What kind of warrior allows himself to be taken without a scratch on him?

TAPHIUS:
     The kind that doesn't waste his time fighting second-rate opponents.

GABRIELLE:
     Who are you?

TAPHIUS:
     I'm-- (he shifts in order to stand but Urd presses the point of her sword into his shoulder. He glances up at her and frowns.) Can someone call these two off?

EVE (to Algiz and Urd):
     It's all right.

The two scouts step back--however, they keep their swords trained on him. Taphius stands and casually brushes himself off.

TAPHIUS:
     The name is Taphius. I've been trailing you since Corinth.

XENA:
     Why?

TAPHIUS:
     Because there's no better way to prove myself than to fight and defeat a great warrior.

XENA (rolls her eyes):
     So that's what this is all about--another warrior wannabe trying to build his reputation on my grave. (her lip curves scornfully) Trust me, Taphius, the only grave you'd be digging is yours. Forget it.

TAPHIUS (blinking in confusion):
     You? I'm not here to challenge you, Xena. It's Gabrielle I want to fight.

Close-up of Gabrielle's stricken face as we:

FADE OUT

END OF TEASER