XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS
Spec Script
© 1999, WGAw Registered
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS
"The Hunt"
Written by: S. M. Mears
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
EXT. THE FARM - NIGHT
The house is smoking, as Gabrielle, Xena, and Phyllida race toward the front door.
INT. THE MAIN ROOM
There is smoke and flames coming from the hearth and filling the room, as Gabrielle, Xena and Phyllida burst through the door.
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GABRIELLE
Mom? Dad?
XENA
(to Gabrielle)
Check the bedroom. |
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Gabrielle rushes into her parents bedroom, while Xena and Phyllida take a crack at the blaze. Xena grabs a couple of rugs, dunks them into a barrel of water and tosses one to Phyllida. They try to extinguish the fire by beating it with the rugs.
INT. GABRIELLE'S PARENTS' BEDROOM
Gabrielle has found her parents unconscious from the smoke. Herodotus is lying on the floor, and Hecuba is on the bed. Gabrielle tries to wake them.
INT. THE MAIN ROOM
The beating technique is not working.
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GABRIELLE'S VOICE
Xena! Help me!!
PHYLLIDA
Go! |
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Xena runs into the bedroom, while Phyllida begins to blow over the top of the barrel of water with great force, spraying the fire.
EXT. THE YARD
Xena and Gabrielle usher her parents out the door. They are all coughing from the smoke. They go to the well and Gabrielle draws some water for them.
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HERODOTUS
What happened!?
GABRIELLE
I don't know. The chimney was smoking-- |
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Phyllida emerge from the house.
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XENA
Are you all right?
PHYLLIDA
Yeah.
(to Hecuba)
There's not much left of your kitchen, though.
HECUBA
I'm just glad no one's hurt.
PHYLLIDA
(to Xena)
I'll check the chimney. |
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She goes around to the back of the house.
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XENA
(to Hecuba)
You all right?
HECUBA
Fine. Here's some water.
(handing her the ladle)
XENA
Thanks.
(taking a sip)
GABRIELLE
How did you stop the fire?
XENA
I didn't. Phyl did.
GABRIELLE
How?
XENA
I don't know--
PHYLLIDA'S VOICE
Xena! |
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They all look up at the house to see:
PHYLLIDA
on the roof-top.
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XENA
What did you find?
PHYLLIDA
You were right. The chimney was clogged... With this... |
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She pulls a smoky Joxer up from the other side of the roof. His hands are tied, and his face is black with soot.
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XENA
Joxer? What are you doing up there?
JOXER (coughing)
...Velasca!...
GABRIELLE
I knew it! |
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Xena passes the ladle to Gabrielle.
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JOXER
Water! Oh, please!
(hands out-stretched)
PHYLLIDA
You got it. |
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With one hand, she flings Joxer into the air and over to the trough, where he lands with a splash. As he sputters around in the water, Xena comes over and unties his hands.
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XENA
Where's Velasca?
JOXER
I don't know. I tracked her through town, then into the woods. She was the mysterious wedding crasher.
PHYLLIDA
(coming from the house)
Not again.
JOXER
(to Xena)
Who's that?
XENA
A friend.
JOXER
Oh.
(he gets out of the trough)
GABRIELLE
(to Joxer)
You saw Velasca?
JOXER
Big as life.
GABRIELLE
That means she's still here.
PHYLLIDA
Not for long.
GABRIELLE
What do you mean?
XENA
Velasca has been leaving a trail of destruction ever since she escaped.
GABRIELLE
Destroying what?
PHYLLIDA
Temples of Artemis.
XENA
So, this is just one of her stops.
HERODOTUS
But there's no Artemis temples here. What does she want with us?
GABRIELLE
Me.
HERODOTUS
What?
XENA
Let's focus on cleaning up this mess--
HERODOTUS
Gabrielle!
GABRIELLE
Xena's right, Dad. |
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Xena nods to Phyllida, who leads Joxer, Hecuba, and Herodotus into the house.
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GABRIELLE
Xena. How do you know she won't be back to finish the job?
XENA
Velasca is just playing with us. If she wanted to kill your parents, she would have.
GABRIELLE
Is that supposed to make me feel better?
XENA
Don't worry, Gabrielle. Nothing's going to happen to your family. I promise.
GABRIELLE
Yeah, well. Promise me something else, while you're at it.
XENA
What?
GABRIELLE
Promise me that this time I get to be the hunter, not the hunted.
XENA
Deal. |
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CUT TO:
INT. MAIN ROOM OF THE HOUSE - AFTERNOON
The room is scorched. There is a large hole in the wall, near the fireplace, where repairs have already begun. Xena is packing her saddle bags, including some food Hecuba has just handed her. Gabrielle comes in from the bedroom with her things, followed by Lila.
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LILA
But what does she have against Artemis?
GABRIELLE
Before she became a god, Velasca was of the old school of Amazons, who believed in conquest and revenge. When the tribes started turning towards peace, she saw it as defeat. So she blames Artemis for supposedly deserting them.
LILA
Well, I still don't see why you have to be the ones to stop her. This is between two gods. Let them fight it out.
HECUBA
So where is this illusive Artemis?
XENA
She has more power by keeping her distance. But she won't be able to hide for long. And Velasca knows it. |
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She heads out the front door. Gabrielle and Hecuba follow. Lila calls up to the hole in the wall.
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LILA
Honey? Come say good-bye. |
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Syrus pokes his head through the hole.
Lila goes out to...
EXT. THE YARD - AFTERNOON
Lila emerges from the house as Phyllida and Joxer bring four horses from the barn.
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XENA
(to Phyl)
Where did you say Velasca hit last?
(putting her bags on Argo)
PHYLLIDA
Larisa.
GABRIELLE
(taking her own horse)
The question is, where has she gone to next?
XENA
So far, she's used hit and run tactics to get our attention. Now she'll use us to smoke out Artemis. She can't fight a god who can't be found.
PHYLLIDA
She's headed for Arcadia.
XENA
Exactly. |
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Herodotus and Syrus come from the side of the house.
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LILA
Why Arcadia?
GABRIELLE
Artemis' hunting grounds.
JOXER
Arcadia it is, then.
(getting on his horse) |
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ON PHYLLIDA
who is amused by his enthusiasm, as she gets on her horse. She and Joxer start down the road. Gabrielle hugs her mother and Lila.
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LILA
Be careful.
GABRIELLE
(to Syrus)
You take good care of them.
SYRUS
I will. |
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Xena holds out her hand to Herodotus. He hesitates, but accepts her offer of peace. Xena gets on Argo, and the three women and Joxer set off down the road.
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XENA
Don't worry, Gabrielle. Phyl has some special friends looking after them. |
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Gabrielle looks back and waves to her family. Then she sees NYMPHS appear all over the farm. They wave to her, along with her family.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE ROAD TO ARCADIA - MANY DAYS AND NIGHTS
VARIOUS SHOTS of Xena and company riding swiftly along roads, through forests, and over hills.
EXT. THE WOODS OF ARCADIA - ESTABLISHING - DAY
EXT. WITHIN THE WOODS OF ARCADIA - DAY
Xena and Gabrielle are alone, scouting around for signs of Velasca.
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GABRIELLE
I keep thinking of all the stories I've heard about Phyllida. One even has her dying of a broken heart because Artemis wouldn't let her marry the man she loved. It's hard to know what to believe where the gods are concerned.
(beat)
But you trust her, right?
XENA
Why? Don't you?
GABRIELLE
I don't know her. Though there's something familiar about her.
XENA
How do you mean?
GABRIELLE
I don't know... It's just a feeling. Why haven't you mentioned her before?
XENA (pause)
I was a kid when she taught me how to hunt, and fight... She taught me the importance of balance in nature. And she gave me confidence in myself, for the first time in my life. Then she was gone.
GABRIELLE
Just like that? Why?
XENA
Maybe she felt her job was done. Let's get back to the others. |
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There is more to this story. Gabrielle can see it in Xena's face. But she lets it go... for now.
P.O.V. SHOT FROM THE BUSHES
Someone is watching Xena and Gabrielle.
CUT TO:
EXT. A STREAM - DAY
The horses are drinking, while Phyllida and Joxer fill their water containers.
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JOXER
So... You knew Xena as a kid, huh?
PHYLLIDA
That's right.
JOXER
Is it true you saved her life?
PHYLLIDA
Yep.
JOXER
It's hard to think of Xena ever needing someone's help.
PHYLLIDA
Well, she was just a little kid when it happened.
JOXER
Little? Xena?
PHYLLIDA (amused)
She was five.. The feistiest thing on two legs... Always getting into trouble. And always fishing!
JOXER
Yep, that's Xena!
PHYLLIDA
Well, one day she was fishing, with nary a bite all morning. So, she decides to try a different approach.
JOXER
Let me guess... Flying parchment?
PHYLLIDA
(looks puzzled)
No... A tree branch that jutted over the water. She climbed onto the farthest point to try and reach deeper into the river.
JOXER
And did she?
PHYLLIDA
(nodding)
All sixty pounds of her.
(laughs)
Smack in the middle of the fastest part of the current.
JOXER
And you just happened to be there?
PHYLLIDA
No. I'd been watching her for a while.
JOXER
Why?
PHYLLIDA
Artemis had her eye on her.
JOXER
What did she want with Xena?
PHYLLIDA
She saw greatness in Xena. She didn't want her getting into the wrong hands.
JOXER
Like Ares.
(beat)
What went wrong?
PHYLLIDA (hesitantly)
I messed up.
VELASCA'S VOICE
Yes... You did! |
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Joxer and Phyllida turn to see:
VELASCA
standing a few feet away from them.
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT III
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