FADE IN On the same scene as before. Xena stares grimly at Eve and Nymphidius; Gabrielle looks worried. Close-up on Eve as she looks at them in alarm. EVE: XENA: EVE (stammering a little): XENA: NYMPHIDIUS: XENA (narrows her eyes at him; icy voice): EVE: XENA: NYMPHIDIUS: XENA (almost snarling): NYMPHIDIUS: Xena looks at him hesitantly, then her face hardens again. XENA: She turns around and starts to walk away, then stops and looks back. XENA (irritably, to Gabrielle and Eve): Gabrielle and Eve exchange hesitant looks. NYMPHIDIUS (to Eve): As he speaks, we: DISSOLVE TO The remnants of a small village, burned completely to the ground. All the buildings have been flattened and all that remains are piles of charred wood, some still smoldering from the fire. Bodies of men, women and children strewn all over the place, many of them are bloodied, battered and bruised and others charred badly from the fire. NYMPHIDIUS (voice-over): The image of the destroyed village... DISSOLVES TO ...a close-up of Xena's anguished face, Eve's equally anguished face superimposed on it. The camera pulls back to show Xena staring at Nymphidius. XENA (turns to Eve): EVE (firmly): Nymphidius nods slowly. There is a long pause. Xena is stone-faced; Gabrielle's face reflects mixed emotions. Finally Xena speaks. XENA: EVE: XENA (sarcastic): Eve looks at her uneasily. DISSOLVE TO Alaric's tent in the Visigoth camp. Alaric is reclining on some furs sipping wine from a goblet. A Visigoth warrior peers into the tent. VISIGOTH WARRIOR: ALARIC: Herman comes in and bows. HERMAN: ALARIC: HERMAN: ALARIC (sits up): HERMAN: ALARIC: Herman gives him a puzzled look. DISSOLVE TO A large room in the Roman military headquarters. Xena, Gabrielle, Eve, Haimon, and Nymphidius along with two other Roman officers are standing around a large table with a map laid out on it. NYMPHIDIUS: He is interrupted by the door flying open. A Roman guard rushes in. Nymphidius looks up as the guard stops and places his fist on his chest in an official salute. GUARD: NYMPHIDIUS (interested): The Roman exits and quickly returns with two other Roman soldiers who are dragging a Visigoth, a powerful, bearded man with his hands bound behind his back. He snarls as he looks at Nymphidius, Xena and the others. The Roman soldiers push him down on his knees in front of Nymphidius as the man struggles. He stares up at Nymphidius defiantly. NYMPHIDIUS: The Visigoth remains silent. Nymphidius slaps him in the face, so hard that he nearly falls. Gabrielle flinches and Eve looks away. Xena's face remains impassive. NYMPHIDIUS: The Visigoth remains silent, blood trickling from his cut lip. He glances at Xena, almost as if expecting something. VISIGOTH CAPTIVE: NYMPHIDIUS: As the soldiers haul the man to his feet, he glances at Xena once again. XENA: She comes up to the Visigoth and jabs her fingers into his neck. He starts gasping for breath. XENA: VISIGOTH CAPTIVE (gasps): XENA: VISIGOTH CAPTIVE (groans): Xena takes off the pinch. The man takes deep breaths as he glowers at her. NYMPHIDIUS: ROMAN SOLDIER: The soldiers drag the Visigoth away. Xena looks after him thoughtfully. XENA (shakes head): NYMPHIDIUS : XENA: EVE: NYMPHIDIUS: XENA: NYMPHIDIUS (looks at her with respect): Quick pan to Xena, who flinches at the name. Eve catches her expression and looks intensely uncomfortable. NYMPHIDIUS (continues): Eve looks uneasily at Xena and walks to the door with Nymphidius. Nymphidius stops and turns to Xena. NYMPHIDIUS: XENA (harshly): CUT TO A dark room in the Roman headquarters, illuminated only by the moonlight coming in from the outside. Gabrielle stands at the window, staring out at the city where torches and lanterns burn in the night. HAIMON (off-camera): Lost in thought, Gabrielle doesn't hear him. Haimon, shirtless, comes up behind her and puts his hands on her shoulders. Startled, she flinches slightly, then puts her hand over his. HAIMON (gently): GABRIELLE (sighs): HAIMON (facetiously but with an undertone of annoyance): GABRIELLE (turns around to face him): HAIMON (looks embarrassed as realization hits him): GABRIELLE: HAIMON: GABRIELLE: HAIMON: Gabrielle nods slowly. Haimon hugs her and she rests her head on his shoulder. Close-up on her worried face. HAIMON (softly): GABRIELLE: Unseen by Gabrielle, Haimon frowns slightly but looks resigned. CUT TO Xena's room. Like Gabrielle in the earlier scene, she is standing by the window looking out. Ares materializes behind her in a flash of blue light; Xena does not react to his appearance. He caresses her shoulders. She sighs and leans back into him slightly. ARES (lightly stroking her face and her hair): XENA: ARES: He presses his face to her hair, breathing in the scent of it. XENA: Ares continues to stroke her hair. XENA (a bitter smile touching her mouth): ARES (pulls back slightly and sighs): XENA (softly and sadly): She sighs, putting her hand on top of Ares' hand as he caresses her face. Looking down to the torch-lit courtyard, she catches sight of two figures walking side by side. It's Eve and Nymphidius. Xena puts her hand over his and is silent for a moment. XENA (pensively): There is a knock on the door. Xena turns abruptly. GABRIELLE (off-camera): Xena lingers a moment to look at Ares. ARES: He blows her a kiss and vanishes in a flash of light. Xena stands still for a moment, then turns to the door. XENA: The door opens and Gabrielle comes in. GABRIELLE (stops, looking at Xena with concern): XENA: Gabrielle comes up to her and puts a hand on her arm. GABRIELLE: XENA (looks at her): GABRIELLE: She trails off. Xena's eyelids flicker and her jaw trembles a little but she says nothing. GABRIELLE (continues): Xena sighs, walks over to the bed and sits down. XENA: A brief silence. GABRIELLE: XENA (after a pause): Xena and Gabrielle look at each other, Gabrielle with anxiety, Xena with grim determination. DISSOLVE TO Daylight. Romans soldiers are lined up outside the city walls, facing the forest. The camera pans over the faces of several soldiers who stare intently ahead of them, listening for any sign of an attack; then pulls back to show Nymphidius and Eve walking down the line inspecting the troops. CUT TO Roman soldiers guarding the city gates inside. CUT TO Roman soldiers guarding another city gate. CUT TO The Roman lines outside the walls. Close-ups of Xena, Gabrielle, and Haimon staring tensely ahead of them. Pan to the woods a short distance from the city walls. Movement is seen amidst the trees. Suddenly, Visigoths--some of them on horseback and some on foot--start pouring out of the woods. NYMPHIDIUS: The Romans move a square formation, holding up their shields and easily repelling the spears thrown by the Visigoths. CUT TO A montage of battle scenes: * Two Romans fighting a Visigoth with a mace. He manages to swipe one of the Romans and knock him down but the other one runs him through and he falls dead. * Eve, on horseback, leads a group of Roman warriors charging into the thick of the Visigoth army. * A lone rider, cloaked and helmeted, staying behind the Visigoth troops; the rider's face is hidden by the visor of the helmet. * Xena and Gabrielle fighting back to back, performing almost identical moves, as if one were a reflection of the other * Haimon stabs a Visigoth with his sword * A wounded Roman falls * Nymphidius' sword shatters a Visigoth's spear * The rider at the back of the Visigoth troop lifts the visor of the helmet; it's Zenobia. She scans the battlefield, a gleam in her eye, and finally zeroes in on Eve, who is fighting off several Visigoths. ZENOBIA (hisses): She rides up closer to the battlefield. A Roman on horseback charges her but she easily cuts him down and his riderless horse gallops off, neighing in fright. Pan to Eve as she knocks down a Visigoth with a kick, then flips over three other Visigoths who are attacking her and slams two of them into each other, knocking them out. Close-up of Eve as her eyes meet Zenobia's. She looks shocked, staring at Zenobia as if transfixed. Zenobia stares back, her lips curling up in a sneer. NYMPHIDIUS (off-camera): Eve is shaken out of her trance, just in time to whip around and avoid the thrust of a Visigoth's sword. The edge of the blade slashes her side just underneath the leather armor, drawing some blood. She and the Visigoth spar briefly before she slashes at his arm, knocks the sword from his hand and delivers a kick that causes him to stagger back. Drawing a dagger, the Visigoth charges at her again but Nymphidius cuts him down. NYMPHIDIUS (to Eve): EVE (nods): NYMPHIDIUS: EVE: XENA (off-camera): Xena comes running toward them. XENA: EVE: They're interrupted by several Visigoth warriors who come running toward them. Xena, Eve and Nymphidius easily beat them back. CUT TO The Visigoths are pushed back by the Romans. A shrill whistle sounds. Pan to Zenobia as she gallops away into the woods, followed by the other Visigoths. The Romans cheer their victory. ROMAN SOLDIER (off-camera, among the general cheer): Others join in and a chant of "Li-vi-a! Li-vi-a! Li-vi-a!" picks up and grows louder. Close-up on Xena. Her face is frozen, only her eyes betraying her horror and anguish. Close-up on Eve, who looks dismayed. The camera pulls back. Gabrielle looks from Xena to Eve in alarm. Nymphidius looks at Eve as well, his expression mixed feeling--an almost paternal pride, as well as disappointment at her reaction. Zoom out for an overhead shot of the battlefield as we: FADE OUT END OF ACT THREE |