FADE IN: EXT. VILLAGE INN - SHORT TIME LATER The girl stands surrounded by villagers, and flanked by older men and older women. The girl is scruffed up; the crowd has not been kind to her. The old woman shakes a broom at her. OLD WOMAN I told you to leave it be! You're nothing but a foolish chit! GIRL It wasn't my fault! I was trying to help! Why can't you understand that?!

YOUNG MAN Help? You tried to kill me!! Xena and Gabrielle push forward through the crowd. OLD WOMAN You said yourself you pushed ‘em! The girl breaks free from the older people who had been holding her arms. GIRL Not on PURPOSE!!! OLD WOMAN Shut up, girl! Gabrielle pushes past two men. GABRIELLE Okay, just hang on a minute. Xena follows Gabrielle into the open space. OLD WOMAN There's the ones what saved him.... You tell it, girls! Both Xena and Gabrielle stop in mid step and look at the old woman with identical glares. OLD WOMAN (cont’d) What? Gabrielle turns to the crowd. GABRIELLE Does anyone here really know what happened?

The crowd looks at each other, then at Gabrielle. They all shake their heads no. GABRIELLE (cont’d, to boy) What about you? The boy scratches his head. BOY Well, I was leaning over the well, and something hit me from behind and knocked me in. He points at the girl. BOY (cont’d) Next thing I know *SHE* starts trying to kill me with a stick! GIRL I was not! I was trying to save you, you ungrateful pig! OLD WOMAN I saw you hitting him! The crowd starts to mutter. Sticks are raised. Stones are readied. OLD WOMAN (cont’d) I say, stone 'er! Always causing trouble she is! CROWD Yeah! Gabrielle steps in front of them. Xena slowly removes the chakram from her hip and holds it in front of her, checking angles. GABRIELLE Hold on, hold on.... She wasn't really hitting him, sh.... GIRL See! See! I told you! The crowd stops and looks at Gabrielle. OLD WOMAN She wasn't? GABRIELLE Well no, not exactly. She.... The crowd breaks up, shaking their heads as they walk off. Gabrielle’s voice trails off. GABRIELLE (cont’d) ... was sort of just poking him in the head.

Xena sighs, and puts the chakram away, giving her fingers a snap. The girl is left standing there, facing Xena and Gabrielle. GIRL Wow. Thanks. Gabrielle puts her hands on her hips. GABRIELLE What's your name? GIRL Selsha. GABRIELLE You should be more careful. XENA Yeah. And don't walk with full buckets. She points at Gabriele. SELSHA But she told me to bring it. She looks at Xena. SELSHA (cont’d) You're Xena, huh? Wow! This is amazing. I've been hearing stories about you all my life. XENA (deadpan) Don't believe them.

SELSHA (confidently) I have to! I'm going to be just like you. Gabrielle leans back against the fence, clearly enjoying Xena's reaction. XENA What? SELSHA (eagerly) I am! I’m going to be a hero! Now that you're here, you can tell me how to do it! Xena takes a step back. Gabrielle fights hard not to start laughing. Selsha follows Xena. XENA Wait a minute. SELSHA What's that round thing?  Is that the chakram? Can I see it? Can I touch it? Oh wow.... Selsha reaches for the chakram. Xena hops out of the way. XENA Hey! Cut that out! You're gonna hurt yourself! Selsha ignores the warning and keeps going, but collides with a barrel and falls over it, knocking the barrel over and sending it rolling towards Gabrielle, who jumps over it at the last moment. Selsha lands on her butt on the ground. SELSHA See? I could have knocked down a bad guy like that, huh? I’m a natural! Xena looks at Gabrielle, who finds a fascinating leaf to examine somewhere. SELSHA (cont’d) Aren't I? Xena shakes her head and walks off, grabbing Gabrielle as she goes by and taking her along too. SELSHA (cont’d) I am! I'll prove it to you!!!! CUT TO: INT. VILLAGE INN - DUSK Xena and Gabrielle are sitting at a table near the back, mugs in front of them, and a couple of cleared plates pushed aside nearby. Gabrielle picks up her mug and drinks from it. She chuckles. XENA That wasn't funny. GABRIELLE C'mon, Xena. You know it was.

The door to the inn opens and Selsha walks in, looking around obviously searching for them. She spots them and brightens, heading their way. XENA Oh, great. GABRIELLE (drolly) Want me to put my plate in front of your face? A woman comes out from the back and spots Selsha. WOMAN (yelling) Selsha! Get in here! It's about time you got home! Selsha looks crestfallen, but obeys, going to the door and disappearing. GABRIELLE (laughing) Oooooh... and she's an innkeeper's daughter, too. She pats Xena’s hand. GABRIELLE (cont’d) Just like you. Xena covers her eyes with one hand. XENA Can we go find some other backwater town to terrorize? GABRIELLE (chuckling) Aw, Xena, it's cute. XENA (miffed) It's not cute. Little klutzy girls who think they can be heroes generally end up very dead, Gabrielle. Gabrielle leans forward and rests her hands on the table. GABRIELLE (whispering) I didn't.

Xena's eyes narrow. She puts one finger on Gabrielle's nose. XENA You had a special something. GABRIELLE Uh huh. You. Xena drums her fingers on the table. GABRIELLE (cont’d, kindly) Give it up. Even after all this time, you can't win an argument with me. XENA (drolly) You done arguing? She points at the door. XENA (cont’d) I don't want to be out here if she comes back. Gabrielle gets up, and Xena joins her. The door to the kitchen opens and Selsha appears, but as she is about to head for them, the front door opens and a man enters. MAN Help! Help! Our wagon overturned, and my wife is trapped! SELSHA Oh! Oh! I'll save her!

Selsha rushes out past the man, bumping him against the wall and knocking a plate down that falls on his head and shatters into pieces. MAN Ow!!! Xena and Gabrielle look at each other, then turn and run after her. CUT TO: EXT. VILLAGE ROAD - EVENING The road out of the village is lined with torches. On the lane leading to the inn, a large wagon sits on its side with two horses tangled in the traces. Boxes and bales of supplies are spilled everywhere. Selsha rushes over and stops, unsure of what to do. She spots the merchant's wife under one corner. SELSHA Oh! There you are! Selsha runs over to the woman, kicking one of the smaller boxes accidentally and smacking it into the woman's head. WIFE Help! Ouch! Ahh!!! SELSHA Sorry! Sorry. Grab my hand! I'll pull you out! Selsha takes the woman's arm and starts pulling her with all her strength. WIFE No! Ahh!! Stop!!!  No! Selsha keeps pulling. SELSHA Don't worry! I'll save you! I promise! Xena and Gabrielle round the corner and see the scene. Xena removes the chakram from her hip and lets it fly. It bounces off a tree, then a fence, then the cart, then turns sideways and whacks Selsha on the side of the head. Selsha releases the woman and stumbles to one side. Xena catches the chakram and puts it on her hip as she reaches the horses. She grabs the reins and yells, pulling the horses up. Gabrielle grabs one of the poles off the gate and rushes to the wagon. She sticks the end of the pole under it as Xena shifts the horses. XENA Yeah! GABRIELLE Got it!

Xena has the horses shift the wagon again, and Gabrielle pushes the pole in further. It lifts the wagon off the woman. SELSHA I'll get her! I'll get her! Selsha rushes forward just as Gabrielle does, and they collide, sending them both sprawling into the dirt. Gabrielle rolls to one side and gets up onto her knees, grabbing the woman by her tunic and sliding her out from under the wagon. GABRIELLE Okay! Xena cuts the traces and frees the horses from the wagon. Selsha gets up and runs over to her, carrying a piece of wood. SELSHA Oh! Can I help? Selsha runs right into the rump of one horse, sticking it with the piece of wood as her feet get tangled in the traces Xena has just cut. XENA Look ou.... The horse bolts, dragging Selsha behind her. SELSHA Ahhhh!!!!! Xena looks at Gabrielle. Gabrielle waves her on as she goes to check on the woman. XENA We're leaving! Tonight!

Xena turns and runs after the horses. After she disappears, there is the sound of a huge crash. Then there is the sound of a lot of angry poultry. Gabrielle winces. FADE OUT. END OF ACT ONE