LifeBlood


By Shadow Warrior

As our show opens, we see Xena and Gabrielle walking, leading their horses behind them, and Xena carrying Eve in her arms. Gab says that Xena gave Eve life, so the least that she can do is to make Eve an Amazon princess. She said that she can give Eve the Right of Caste. Xena says that she doesn't have to do that. She then says that she traded her youth and life for violence and blood. She never wants Eve to live that way. Besides, the Right of Caste is a precious gift. Gab says that she is sure and wants to do it.

At the Amazon village, there is tragedy. Many women warriors are dead, wrapped in shrouds ready for the pyre. They say that the killing will be avenged, and no killers will go unpunished. They turn to welcome Xena and Gabrielle to the village. Cyanne, the leader, talks as Xena sees Yakut's body. She is appalled and is speechless.

The funeral pyre is lit. As Xena watches, she hears Yakut's voice calling out to her. She looks, and sees Yakut sit up in the fire. She sees visions of terrible fighting and ghoulish faces. Then she sees a woman dressed in modern jeans and clothes, in peril among the Amazons and some greasy-looking cave men. Gabrielle asks Xena if she's OK.

As Xena, Eve, and Gabrielle sit, Xena tells Gab that she saw Yakut's spirit, which was trying to tell her that something was dreadfully wrong. WHAT, she didn't know yet, but she would try to find out. Gab asks what is wrong, and Xena says she doesn't know.... Cyanne comes to them and explains that Amarice was "lost" in the fight, too. She hands Gab a leather pouch, which belonged to Amarice. Cyanne explains that Amarice left it for Gabrielle, and that she would understand. She also said that Yakut foresaw the arrival of Gabrielle and Xena.

Gab tells Cyanne that bringing new blood into the tribe would be a good thing, and that she wants to give Eve her Right of Caste. Cyanne says that Gab has to take her place as Amazon queen first. However, this is a ceremony that ONLY Amazons can attend.... and Xena is not an Amazon, so she can't attend the ritual. Gab and Eve leave with Cyanne, and Xena is alone again.

Xena sits alone, and hears Yakut's voice again. The apparition leads Xena to a dark place, where she faces Yakut's spirit. She asks Yakut why she hasn't crossed over to the Land of the Dead yet. Yakut says that the Amazons' future is in serious danger and she needs Xena's help since Xena is the only one she could trust. She says that she failed her people.

Meanwhile, Gab is being honored by the Amazons, who dance in honor of Gabrielle, their new queen. There is a flashback in time, to some Amazons running and fighting a bunch of greasy-looking cave men. They are valiantly kicking ass, but are overmanned and have to run. One warrioress goes to a man who is a sorcerer, and demands that he bring them a leader. He says some things and a young woman, dressed in jeans and modern clothes, appears suddenly in the middle of a big fight. She is the original Cyanne, and she is terrified. (The current Amazon leader was the dark-haired lady from Farscape). One woman knocks Cyanne out, asking if she's really a leader??

Cyanne is with the Amazons, who rope a big white horse. Cyanne runs up and jumps on his back, to the awe of the Amazons. However, she is thrown to the ground, too. The Amazons bow to her, as their new leader.

Gabrielle is still being honored with dance. She is cut on the arm, with some blood flowing from the cut. Flashback to the original (modernistic) Cyanne, who is thrown down on this same altar and received the same cut. Gab looks up through the opening of the cave and sees the moon turn red.

The regular Amazon leader Cyanne (the name is passed down for the sake of honor) says that Gab will lead the tribe in its quest for vengeance, and orders the others to begin the Right of Caste ceremony. She then tells Gab to embrace the Amazon way of life and tradition. Gab tells them that vengeance is not the right way to live by, and that they have a duty to live by for HERE, TODAY. It doesn't involve vengeance.

Xena and Yakut are speaking together. Xena says that she will get Yakut's dagger, which is the key to understanding and of bringing peace back to the Amazons. Yakut warns her that she might be caught up and taken to the nether world (whatever that is), and that there is great danger involved in this. Xena says that it isn't supposed to be easy. Yakut concentrates and finds the place where her dagger is. She holds her arm out and the dagger begins to materialize. Xena grabs the apparition of a dagger and holds onto it for life. She suddenly jerks it from Yakut's grip, and now holds the dagger. As she holds it up, she sees a vision.

That vision: there is a footrace between (modernistic) Cyanne and an Amazon woman warrior. Cyanne cheats and begins the race first, and the other follows. Cyanne reaches a deep gorge with a river below and stops. As she walks backwards from it, the other warrior approaches her. She begins to run again, and they both jump. The Amazon makes it, but Cyanne doesn't. She falls into the river and is swept away by the current. But she is saved by a nice-looking cave man (who plays Caesar). He looks at her, and says she has "good body!" and begins to kiss her. She says that he needn't expect her to fall for just ANY nice-looking guy that saves her from a river and she kisses him back. Suddenly the Amazon warrior rushes in and fights with the cave man. They try to kill each other, and Cyanne finally sides with him. The entire Amazon group rushes in and saves the women. Caesar cave man escapes somehow!

Cyanne is accused of siding with the enemy, and the penalty is death.

Meanwhile, Yakut tells Xena that a new Amazon sister who joins the tribe must be bathed in blood. Xena immediately thinks of Eve and rushes out to help Eve out. The Amazons prepare to cut the white horse's throat, and Gabrielle says "no!" Suddenly, Xena's chakram knocks the knife from the Amazon's hand. The Amazons are pissed and say that she has no right to be there interfering with an Amazon ceremony. But when Xena holds up Yakut's dagger, they recognize it immediately. She says that it will explain everything. Cyanne (the REGULAR ONE) says that Xena isn't even an Amazon.

Xena holds up the dagger, and FLASHBACK to the Amazons running and being captured by the dirty, greasy cave men. The cave man leader takes a dagger, and tells Caesar cave man to kill (modernistic) Cyanne. He grimaces, throws her to the ground, growling, and has knife to her throat. However, he doesn't do it. The cave man leader demands him to kill her. Suddenly the Amazons appear and throw rocks down on the cave men. A big fight erupts with knives and war clubs. Caesar cave man lets modernistic Cyanne go, and they exchange loving looks before they part company.

At fireside, Cyanne asks the farscape woman leader why the other Amazon woman spared her life. She explains that the warrior liked the men, too, and saw her own father killed by them.

Gabrielle says that she won't allow the Amazons to go to war for the sake of vengeance, as she holds Eve. Xena is beside her with Yakut's dagger in hand, and says that the Amazons are making a huge mistake. Yakut's spirit appears to Xena, and tells her that she must keep them from the war. She says that if they spill blood in the name of vengeance, her spirit will be doomed to never enter the Land of the Dead.

Xena makes them understand that Yakut didn't fail her people. Instead, she took an arrow that was intended for another woman. The woman warrior asked why Yakut would do something so foolish as that. Gab said that she did it because she loved her. Xena lifts Yakut's dagger again. Flashback again:

Scene with the Amazons and the cave men again. (modernistic) Cyanne is riding a horse with the others, THIS time dressed as a warrior. Caesar cave man is tied to a log which he carries on his shoulders, because he let the woman go rather than killing her. There is a huge fight, with the Amazons taking the cave men out. As Cyanne tries to save Caesar cave man, the cave man leader comes up behind them and prepares to kill them both. An Amazon woman kills him, instead, and Cyanne saves her man. The other cave men who survived run off into the hills. The Amazons want to follow them and kill them all, but the farscape leader says NO, that there has been enough of that.

Cyanne lets Caesar cave man go, telling him to show his people a better way to live. They part company on friendly terms.

Xena and Gabrielle with Eve at the celebration. There is a big dance. As they watch, there is a flashback to the modernistic Cyanne, who dances and celebrates with the women. The farscape leader says that they will take no more men into the tribe, but will honor their families with a life of peace and strength. They dance with drumming and singing of the Amazon song. She says that from that time on they will be called AMAZONS. (since they were not previously called Amazons)

Back to the present, Eve is baptized in water and gab gives her the Right of Caste. Yakut's spirit appears to Xena and thanks her for saving her spirit. She then passes on to the Land of the Dead.

Much dancing. Amazon spirit is restored again, tempered with might and mercy, thanks to a small child and Xena.

End of Story

Shadow Warrior