From: daviderl31@yahoo.com   
      
                                           6.7 The Rheingold   
                                               (or Rhinegold)   
      
   First air date was Nov. 13, 2000.   
      
   The episode starts out with Xena sitting beside a campfire at night. She   
   wearing different armor and a helmet with wings on it. Something is moving   
   in the woods around her. She looks at a large gold ring on her finger, then   
   has flashbacks of pouring molten gold into a mold and casting it. Flashback   
   is over and a monster comes up behind her and she fights it, driving  it   
   into a cave with iron bars. As she wraps a chain around the bars to lock it,   
   the monster grabs her arm and pulls it between the bars. When she snaps a   
   lock with two birds on it and she pulls her arm out, the ring is gone. She   
   yells to the monster that even though it has the ring it can never use its   
   power because the chains will hold it for eternity.   
      
   She then climbs onto a horse, it gallops up into the air, and she rides off.   
      
   Fast forward thirty five years to the "present."   
      
   Xena and Gabrielle are in a tavern eating. A man comes in and stares at   
   Xena. She asks if he wants something. He says his name is Beowulf and puts a   
   rusty looking lock with two birds on it down on the table. Xena tells   
   Gabrielle she has to talk to the man.   
      
   Later, in their room, Gabrielle accuses Xena of still keeping secrets from   
   her. But she says being a friend is letting her keep her secrets. They go to   
   bed. The next morning Xena is gone but leaves a note saying she's gone to   
   take care of unfinished business. And it is so dangerous she doesn't think   
   she will survive and can't ask Gabrielle to die with her again. And her love   
   for Gabrielle is endless.   
      
   Gabrielle follows, writing on a scroll as she does. She writes she's been   
   traveling north for weeks, farther than she's ever been before. She comes   
   into a (Norse?) village and sees a tapestry with Valkyries on it. One of   
   them has long dark hair. Gabrielle asks a man to explain the meaning. He   
   can't remember the name of the woman, but a blond woman (named Brunhilda)   
   who's been watching Gabrielle, tells her it's Xena. Gabrielle wants to know   
   about her, and the woman tells her Xena's reign of terror ended 35 years   
   ago.   
      
   Brunhilda says Xena came in from the distant land of Chin. In a flashback,   
   Xena finds Odin, the Norse god, tied to a tree and asks who he messed with.   
   He says he did it to himself because of all the strife he sees. Xena tells   
   him it's what makes life worth living. As she talked, he regained hope and   
   made Xena a Valkyrie.   
      
   Xena eventually came into conflict with Odin's lover – Grinhilda, the leader   
   of the Valkyries.   
      
   Norse soldiers are running from other soldiers. They are outnumbered. Xena   
   and Brunhilda see them and Xena convinces them to fight for Odin and they   
   watch as they are slaughtered.   
      
   In Odin's banquet hall in Valhalla, Xena is next to Odin. Brunhilda comes   
   and complaining about having to escort the dead soldiers to Valhalla. And   
   theirs was a useless death over greed. Xena says greed is one of the   
   fundamentals of life. Odin agrees and Brunhilda leaves. Odin is sad, saying   
   he loved her once.   
      
   Xena says he can live without love.   
      
   Gabrielle feels sorry for Xena. She tells Brunhilda she and Xena are   
   friends. She wants to know what else Brunhilda can tell her. Brunhilda tells   
   her to camp there and she'll return that night.   
      
   Gabrielle is writing again, saying she knows Xena is trying to correct some   
   great wrong. She hears noises in the woods. Brunhilda attacks her. They   
   fight and Gabrielle causes her to get cut with her own sword. Gabrielle is   
   knocked down, and Brunhilda says she was testing Gabrielle to see if she   
   (Brunhilda) was worthy to fight along side Xena.   
      
   They talk and Brunhilda tells  Gabrielle she knows the woods and can help   
   her find Xena. The next day as they walk Brunhilda continues her story of   
   Xena –   
   Odin has taught Xena how to make fire with her mind but she wants more. Then   
   she asks Odin about the Rheingold. He doesn't want to tell her. She says   
   how can she give her love to him if he won't trust her. He tells her the   
   Rheingold is dangerous to anyone who has forsaken love.   
      
   Grinhilda tells Odin that Xena is looking for the Rhine (Rhein) Maidens and   
   wants to know how she knew about them. Then she says he told her because   
   Xena pretended to be in love with him. She wants command of the Valkyries   
   back to go after her.   
      
   Xena is on a flying horse going down the Rhine (Rhein) River to find the   
   Rhine Maidens. Grinhilda and three Valkyries ride after Xena. One circles   
   around in front of her and Xena knocks her of off horse. She uses two swords   
   to take out two more. She and Grinhilda fight side by side then they both   
   fall. Tree branches break their fall to the ground. Xena recovers first and   
   gets her sword. She starts to kill Grinhilda, but just knocks her out, then   
   rides off to find the Rhein (Rhine) Maidens.   
      
   Xena dives into the water and comes up where the three Rhine maidens are   
   swimming. One says she loves Xena already. Xena whispers that she wants her   
   to show her something. The maiden doesn’t want to but Xena asks how can she   
   be a Rhine Maiden of she doesn’t see it. They dive down and swim underwater   
   for a very long time. When they come up in a cave, Xena goes to a chest and   
   opens it. It contains a lump of gold – The Rhinegold. She takes it, elbows   
   the maiden -- giving her a very bloody nose, and swims away with it.   
      
   Next are the scenes of Xena melting the gold and making the ring. Brunhilda   
   says Xena put the ring on and became invincible.   
      
   Gabrielle says Xena wouldn't need the ring because she's the best fighter   
   there is. Grinhilda says Gabrielle must love her very much. Gabrielle says   
   she's her best friend, but it has a price. Grinhilda says a price worth   
   paying, and Gabrielle agrees, and hopes Xena feels the same way.   
      
   Cut to Xena and Beowulf walking to somewhere. He is taken with Gabrielle's   
   beauty but says neither will live to see her again.   
      
   Brunhilda asks if Gabrielle knows why Xena has come. When she mentions   
   Beowulf's name and the lock with the two birds (ravens – the symbol of   
   Odin), Brunhilda says she knows why she came north, and she is on a suicide   
   mission.   
      
   Beowulf and Xena come up to a large barn, tavern, or inn and there are dead,   
   bloody bodies everywhere. Beowulf says the beast killed 23 men including   
   friends and two brothers. Others were dragged off to its cave to be eaten   
   alive. Xena tells him whatever happens she's with him. He tells her the   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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