As in THE PRICE--except that she is alone in the canoe--Xena paddles down the river past dying men on the bank tied to X-shaped crosses. An axe flies at her from the bank and she deflects it with her oar, then paddles furiously. On the shore, a man breaks free and swims toward the boat. Xena looks at him, obviously in conflict over whether to help him, then paddles toward him and leans forward, helping him get his arm over the edge of the boat.

XENA:
     Hold on tight!

Pan to two Horde soldiers who are following her in a canoe.

MAN:
     They'll catch us both! Let me go!

XENA:
     No! No, I've got you now! I'm keeping you.

DISSOLVE TO

The Athenian fort. Xena stands looking around in dismay.

MERCER:
     Man the battlements! Watch for attack!

DYING MAN:
     Mercer! Mercer! They have to be stopped! (coughs) They have to be--

He dies.

CUT TO

Xena approaches an Athenian soldier crouched by the battlements.

XENA:
     You taking a break, soldier?

SOLDIER:
     Yeah--from reality?

XENA:
     You think you can grab your sword and get placed before they come over the wall?

SOLDIER (exasperated):
     Lady--it just doesn't matter anymore. We're running out of food; we're running out of men; and we're running out of time. Those things out there have us. Today, tomorrow--what's the difference?

XENA (kicks up his sword and catches it, then grabs him by the shoulder and hauls him to his feet):
     Now, take this sword (hands him the sword), get back on that wall, and do your job. 'Cause what they might do to you is nothing compared to what I'll do.

Another soldier charges Xena and she knocks him down, throwing him over the battlements. A third soldier tries to attack her and she repels him with a kick. A Horde axe flies over the wall and she catches it in her hand.

SOLDIER (in shock):
     Who are you?

XENA:
     My name is Xena.

SOLDIER:
     Xena? Xena of Corinth? The Warrior Princess of Kalmae? The one who defeated Callisto?

XENA:
     You've heard of me.

SOLDIER:
     What do you think we should do?

XENA (raises her voice):
     Well, first, keep your weapons where you can get at them. And stand at the wall, not under it or near it! (she walks along the battlements, addressing the soldiers who look up in wonderment) Every fourth man, take a rest! The man either side of him will cover for him! And if anything moves between here and the trees--kill it! (she stands between two pillars of grey stone) We're not gonna let these bastards defeat the elite of the Athenian army, are we?!

SOLDIERS (in unison):
     No!

SOLDIER:
     Tell us what to do, Xena!

XENA:
     Do? (she brandishes the Horde axe) We're gonna kill 'em all!

The soldiers cheer, brandishing their swords, as Xena looks ahead, a glint in her eye.

Soldiers are hoisting dead bodies up on the battlements on sharp spikes.

Xena is coming to the battlements with Menticles.

XENA:
     Make sure half those bodies go to the south wall. If we're gonna fool them, we'll have to make them think we have reinforcements.

CUT TO

The Horde attack. The Athenians battle them.

XENA:
     Everybody down! Now!

Athenian archers rise from behind the battlements and from other hiding places and starts shooting at the Horde. Horde warriors are falling everywhere. Xena grabs a bow and beats back Horde warriors with it, kicking at others. She cuts a Horde warrior's throat with a battle-axe.

A Horde soldier is running away. Xena rushes to the battlements. Her face contorted in a snarl, she throws the axe at him. He falls with a scream.

ATHENIAN SOLDIERS (cheering):
     Xena! Xena! Xena! Xena! Xena!

Xena walks among them, smiling, obviously pleased.

CUT TO

Xena, Mercer and Menticles in the command hut.

XENA:
     Trying to get out of this valley without reinforcements would be suicide. We're gonna do something about that.

MERCER:
     You plan to swim down the river and climb the cliffs.

MENTICLES:
     Hold on. You can't leave. The men'd lose hope if you disappeared.

XENA:
     He's right. As much as I hate to admit it, I have to stay here. Mercer will go. Get ready.

CUT TO

A quick montage:

* Athenian soldiers are throwing smoke bombs create a cloud of smoke on the battlefield;
* Athenians fight the horde while Mercer runs under the cover of smoke;
* Xena crawls on the ground in the dissipating smoke checking the bodies of Horde soldiers. One of them, with a large nose ring and red and blue paint on his face, comes to and tries to grab her throat. She punches him out and drags him back toward the fort.

CUT TO

Inside the command hut, the Horde soldier on his knees looks up at Xena.

XENA (leans down toward him, map in hand):
     Let's make this simple. I know you don't understand me, but I wanna make some things clear. We are here. (points to a spot on the map; the Horde warrior nods) You (touches the Horde warrior) --where?

MENTICLES:
     Look--the animal understands. But he's not gonna help us. Let me try!

He raises his sword. Xena holds up a hand, stopping him, then jabs her fingers in the man's neck. He starts wheezing.

MENTICLES:
     What have you done?

XENA:
     I've shut off the flow of blood to his brain. He'll be dead in moments--and he knows it. He can feel his life draining away. (holds the map before the man's face) Show me! (the man continues to wheeze and choke. Finally Xena jabs her fingers in his neck, taking off the pinch) Take him to the supply room. Chain him up.

MENTICLES:
     You mean, kill him.

XENA:
     I mean, chain him up. We can still find ways to make him talk.

The prisoner is dragged away.

CUT TO

Xena is on the battlements with some soldiers.

SOLDIER:
     Xena! Look, it's Mercer! The bastards got him!

Xena looks down. Mercer, badly wounded, is crawling across the field. Xena looks up, her face grim and hard.

SOLDIER:
     Should we send someone out to help him?

Xena looks down. Already close to the gates, Mercer tries to get up; an axe thrown by a Horde soldier hits him in the back of the head and he falls down, dead.

XENA:
     Not anymore.

CUT TO

Xena, very grim-faced, walks into the supply room with Menticles. She is holding the map. The Horde warrior sits chained by the wall.

HORDE WARRIOR (looks up and moans):
     Kaltaka...kaltaka...

XENA (looks at Menticles):
     Kaltaka. What does that mean?

MENTICLES (shrugs):
     Their wounded keep saying that. Must be their god of war--they're praying to him as they die.

XENA (a cruel smile on her lips):
     Well, Kaltaka won't help you now, whoever he is. (backhands the Horde warrior across the face, making his head snap to the side) But I'm going to give you another chance. (holds up the map and pokes a finger at it) Where?

The man is silent.

XENA:
     Time for an encore.

She jabs her fingers in the man's neck. He starts choking and wheezing. Xena and Menticles look on as he jerks his hands up, trying to clutch at his throat. Blood starts to flow from his nose. His eyes roll up and he dies.

Xena and Menticles stand over the dead man. Suddenly, Xena shivers and her eyes widen.

XENA (to Menticles):
     Go check what's happening on the battlements. I'll join you in a minute.

Menticles leaves.

XENA:
     Ares.

ARES (materializes behind her):
     Hello, Xena. (sighs dramatically) This is quite a fix you're in, isn't it? A couple more days, and you and your men are gonna start running out of food and water. Somehow, I doubt that even you will be able to keep their spirits up.

XENA (sneers bitterly):
     Let me guess. You're here to help.

ARES:
     I am. (Xena whips around and stares at him intently) I have an army camped just a few hours' march from here. One word from me, and they'll be here by sunrise.

XENA (gives him a blistering look):
     If I agree to serve you again. I know your kind of help comes with a price tag.

ARES (presses his hand to his chest in mock hurt):
     Xena, Xena, Xena. So suspicious. I just want to help my favorite warrior--with no strings attached. Just keep doing what you've been doing. I'm not asking for anything else.

XENA (looks at him warily but with a little less hostility):
     You want me to fight in your name.

ARES (shakes his head, smirking):
     I don't care if you fight in the name of your great-grandmother. Just fight and lead your troops to victory. (Xena looks at him, obviously starting to waver) Come on, Xena. You're gonna let all these men die because you're too stubborn to accept my help?

A pause.

XENA (softly, her shoulders sagging a little):
     All right. I accept.

CUT TO

The battlements. The sun is starting to set. Xena comes up to Menticles.

XENA (businesslike):
     Listen up. Tomorrow, right after sunrise, we're getting out of here.

MENTICLES (gives her a shocked look):
     Are you insane? We'll get slaughtered!

XENA:
     No, we won't. We have reinforcements coming from Linnea.

MENTICLES (astonished):
     How do you know that?

XENA (smiles coldly):
     I have my sources.

DISSOLVE TO

The battlements at sunrise. Xena and Menticles stand looking out into the distance. Xena is wearing a helmet. From among the trees, a kite flies up, gleaming in the sun.

XENA:
     That's our signal. (raises her sword) Go!

CUT TO

The Athenian troops, led by Xena, stream out of the fort's gates. Horde warriors emerge from the trees and attack.

The camera pans to warriors in red-and-black vests attacking from the other direction. There is a quick succession of battle scenes as the Athenians and the reinforcements sent by Ares fight the Horde. The camera zooms in on Xena, brandishing a sword, her eyes glittering dangerously.

XENA (screams):
     Kill 'em all!

CUT TO

A Horde warrior on his knees, holding out his hands and obviously begging for mercy. The camera pans up to Xena, her eyes sparkling, her lip curled in a sneer. She runs the man through with her sword.

XENA:
     Why don't you pray to Kaltaka now!

The Athenian soldiers and Ares' soldiers cheer on the battlefield. The ground is strewn with the bodies of dead and dying Horde warriors, as well as some bodies of Athenians and of Ares' soldiers.

MENTICLES:
     Victory is ours! (loud cheers; Menticles raises his sword) Xena!

A chant of "Xena! Xena! Xena! Xena!" goes up.

Xena smiles as she hears her name being chanted. Then she looks at the dead bodies around her and at her own blood-spattered hands. Suddenly, her face crumbles.

While the soldiers continue to cheer in the background, Ares appears behind Xena and leans in toward her. He takes off her helmet, in a shot reminiscent of the Illusia scene in THE BITTER SUITE after she has "killed" Gabrielle; Xena has the same dazed, "lost" look. Ares wraps his arm around Xena's waist, his lips almost brushing her ear.

ARES (in a soft, suave voice):
     Welcome home, Xena. Welcome home.