As Xena and Gabrielle are making their way through the forest, they are met by four Amazons on patrol. Xena asks them for safe passage through their territory. The Amazons take them to see Queen Melosa. Along the way, they are attacked and the Amazon, Terreis is hit by an arrow. Without thinking, Gabrielle moves to sheild the fallen Amazon as more arrows are fired their way. Suddenly the attack ends, and Xena goes to find who was responsible. Terreis dies, but not before asking Gabrielle to take her rite of caste. At the Amazon village, Terreis is given her funeral and Melosa grants safe passage to Xena and Gabrielle. Before they can leave, Ephiny and several Amazons return with a Centaur they captured. He is Phantes, the son of Tyldus who leads the Centaurs. The Amazons plan on executing Phantes for the murder of Terreis. Krykus the warlord arrives in the village. He assures Melosa that if the Amazons and Centaurs go to war that his army will stay out of it. After talking to Phantes, Xena tells Melosa that she doesn’t believe that he killed her sister. She tells the queen that she’s going to go speak to Tyldus. Xena tells Gabrielle to stay with the Amazons because they will protect her. Tyldus is wary of his former enemy. He informs Xena that his army will attack the Amazons if his son is executed. While Xena is gone, the Amazons prepare their new princess, Gabrielle. As part of her training as an Amazon, they teach her how to fight with a staff. Later, Melosa tells Gabrielle that because she accepted Terreis’ rite of caste, she must be the one to carry out the execution of Phantes.
Xena returns to the scene of the attack. Ephiny appears and tries to fight the warrior in the trees. But Xena cuts the branch that Ephiny is standing on and she falls to the ground. A Centaur was also in the area, and moves to kill the Amazon. Xena stops his attack, as well as the arrow that Ephiny fires at him. The two women retreat to the trees before the Centaur can attack again. When the Centaur is gone, Xena shows Ephiny proof that Phantes’ wasn’t the one who murdered Terreis. The warrior realizes that Krykus was the one behind the attack and the two women make their way to his camp to investigate further. With their suspiscions confirmed, the two warriors return to the Amazon village in time to stop the execution. Xena encourages Gabrielle to demand the royal challange. As her champion, Xena will fight Melosa to the death.
written by Steven L. Sears
directed by Jace Alexander
music by Joseph LoDucaGuest Cast: Danielle Cormack (Ephiny), Alison Bruce (Melosa), Mark Ferguson (Krykus), David Aston (Tyldus), Chris Bailey (Celano), Tanya Dignan (Eponin), Andrew Kovacevich (Tor), Rebekah Mercer (Terreis), Colin Moy (Phantes), Aurora Philips (Magdelus), Antony Starr (Mesas), John Watson (Arben)
LogBook entry by Mary Terrell