From: davideml@bellsouth.net   
      
   {Thanks for the get-well wishes. Feel much better.}   
      
      
      
      
      
   6-14 Path of Vengeance   
      
      
      
   First airing was Feb. 2, 2001.   
      
   The story starts out with a tribal council of Amazon queens. They are talking   
   about being in the   
   valley where the Amazons got their start. They are joining together into one   
   tribe. Varia comes in   
   and says Romans have been spotted in the woods.   
      
             Cut to Eve waking alone in the woods. She hears something and looks   
   around. She sees a   
   contingent of Roman soldiers. The leader says the emperor sent them to guard   
   her. Eve isn't happy.   
   Suddenly they are surrounded by Amazons. Eve yells out that she's a   
   representative of Eli, and Rome   
   and she's there for peace. The Amazons attack and everyone but Eve fights. One   
   of the soldiers is   
   told to go back to the last village to find an officer and tell him what is   
   happening. Eve is taken   
   prisoner.   
      
             Xena and Gabrielle are in the village trying to get a room but with   
   all the Romans in   
   town there are no empty rooms. Xena comments about the Romans pulling back to   
   Rome. The solider   
   runs up to them and tells them they were attacked by hundreds of Amazons. Xena   
   says no tribe is   
   that big. He says they were sent to guard the messenger of Eli, and she is a   
   prisoner. Xena says   
   they are going to kill her.   
      
             One of the Amazon queens named Cyane asks what to do with the Roman   
   prisoners. Varia   
   tells her to finish the job. Cyane says her tribe doesn't kill prisoners.  Eve   
   says they were sent   
   to protect her not to fight and if she kills them Varia will be no better than   
   Livia. Varia says   
   she was banished, but now that she's come back she will face what she's done.   
   Varia tells Cyane to   
   have her  clan protect the pass.   
      
   An arrow lands in front of X&G. Xena recognizes it is from Cyane's tribe and   
   wonders why they are   
   so far south. Cyane says Varia, queen of the Amazon nation said no one could   
   pass. Gabrielle   
   introduces herself and Cyane is honored to meet her. Xena sees the Romans with   
   their hands tied   
   behind them with arrows sticking out of their backs. Xena says Cyane's   
   namesake would not have   
   stood for that. Cyane takes them to the council meeting.   
      
   Varia is telling the council Livia was banished but now she's back and should   
   be executed. Xena and   
   Gabrielle arrive and Xena says she's not leaving without Eve. Gabrielle says   
   Xena is there by her   
   permission and she can defend her daughter to the council.   
      
   Varia tells them about the time Livia attacked their village six years ago -   
   Roman soldiers and   
   Livia come into the village and they begin to fight. The Romans begin taking   
   prisoners, including   
   Varia's sister Tura. Varia has a chance to stab Livia in the back but   
   hesitates because it is her   
   first battle. Livia turns around and knocks her down. She starts toward her   
   with her sword but Tura   
   runs up and lays across Varia. Livia kills her.   
      
   Back to present and Varia is saying if she had killed Livia her sister would   
   be alive as would her   
   tribe. Eve admits she those things. Varia says since she returned from   
   banishment she has to die.   
   Gabrielle insists Xena has the right to defend Eve. Xena is given an hour to   
   prepare a defense. She   
   tells Gabrielle Varia's sword looks like the one Livia had and she got it from   
   Ares.   
      
   Xena confronts Varia, the have words and begin fighting Xena tries a move that   
   Varia blocks. Xena   
   says the only one alive who knows about the move is Ares. Varia says he is   
   helping her rebuild the   
   Amazon nation. Xena says he doesn't care about the Amazons. Varia insists she   
   needs Ares.   
      
   Xena asks why Eve raided the village as Livia, she answers for slaves. Xena   
   tells her to tell the   
   whole truth. Eve says she was fighting two campaigns and winning. Ares told   
   her she ought to take   
   over the Amazon lands for the glory and she could sell them for slaves.   
      
   Xena says that Ares was behind the raids and Eve says yes. Varia says Ares   
   wants a strong Amazon   
   nation. Xena says he only helps himself. Xena leaves. Gabrielle wants to be   
   heard in the council.   
   She tells Xena she can make them understand how Ares is. Xena says okay but if   
   she has to she'll   
   get Eve out the old fashioned way.   
      
   Varia goes somewhere and yells for Ares. She wants the truth. He says Artemis   
   was content to let   
   the Amazons dwindle away so he had Livia raid the village and when word spread   
   the tribes would   
   come together. About the slaves, Ares said he knew Gurkhan wouldn't want the   
   Amazons - too high   
   spirited. Livia tried to sell them at a market but no one was buying so she   
   threw them overboard   
   still wearing their shackles.   
      
   Gabrielle wants to know, since Ares was behind the raids, why condemn Eve?   
   They say it was her   
   sword and she admitted to the crimes. When the verdict is announced, Gabrielle   
   has to side with the   
   Amazons. Xena is angry. Gabrielle says she had no choice, they would have   
   kicked her off the   
   council and voted against Eve anyway. This way she will have a voice in the   
   sentencing. Xena walks   
   away not able to talk to Gabrielle.   
      
   Xena goes out into a field and calls for Ares. Instead of appearing she tells   
   her the story about a   
   swan and a scorpion. Xena is impatient. He finishes the story and appears   
   behind her. He says like   
   the scorpion, he is doing what he does. He lost al lot of worshippers when he   
   was mortal and now   
   needs the two armies fighting each  other and both worshipping him. He says   
   Eve just happened to   
   show up and got involved of her own free will. Xena says she can't kill gods   
   now but she's not   
   going to let it happen.   
      
   Varia, in the name of Ares, condemns Eve to death. Gabrielle challenges her,   
   saying until she   
   defeats her she isn't queen. Gabrielle tells Xena she has to do this her way   
   and not to interfere.   
      
   Gabrielle and Varia meet in a ring surrounded by Amazons. They both wrap their   
   fists with cloth and   
   begin fighting. Varia is a bit better than Gabrielle, but Gabrielle still gets   
   in some good licks.   
   At the same time she tries to talk Varia about of following Ares. Eventually   
   Varia defeats   
   Gabrielle. Xena goes to her as they are dragging Eve off for execution. She   
   tells Gabrielle she has   
   to do what she has to do. Gabrielle tells her to go, it's okay.   
      
   Xena yells out to Ares again. She says he's there to gloat. He says he's   
   looking forward to Xena   
   taking on a few dozen Amazons as she saves Eve.   
      
   Xena confronts Varia and tells her she isn't doing this for the Amazon nation,   
   but out of guilt for   
   not killing Livia when she had the chance.  They fight on a wooden walkway   
   over bubbling hot mud.   
   Both get in good punches and throw the other around a lot.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)