SINS OF THE PAST

.....Xena has survived the gauntlet and benefited from her relationship with Hercules as she begins her first episode. A lonely figure on horseback is riding through the mist. Her past haunting her like a ghost as she rides through a burntout village.

.....Xena no longers wants the life of a warrior princess. Revelations of her past haunt her as she tries to bury her past with her weapons and warrior outfit. However, this is not to be as she finds herself hiding in the midst of marauders rounding up a group of villagers. Her changed heart urges her to help the villagers.

.....Xena battles furiously and finally drives the marauders away with a message for the Warlord Draco. "Tell him Xena says hello." Despite her efforts to help the villagers; they refuse to accept her as anything but the Warrior Princess, Xena. However, there is one woman, Gabrielle, who finds herself strangely wanting to be friends with Xena.

.....Xena is asked to leave and does so quietly, not wanting to cause the villagers unrest. Gabrielle insists on coming with her but Xena refuses, saying she is going home to Amphipolis. On her way home Xena drops by Draco's camp in search of a favor to spare the village she just came from. Draco's overwhelming passion to possess Xena allows him the heart to spare the village. In the meantime, Gabrielle sneaks off in the middle of the night in hopes of joining Xena.

.....Xena hopes that going home will help ease the guilt of her past. However, her homecoming is not as welcome as one would think. Once again she is asked to leave. Meanwhile, Draco is planning to try and win Xena over by making her homecoming even harder with a plan to have his men carry her banners, scream her name and torch fields.

.....The villagers confront Xena and try to stone her but Gabrielle comes to her rescue. When Xena leaves, Gabrielle convinces her to take her along. While Xena is visiting her brother's tomb, Draco arrives at the village demanding they turn Xena over to him. Of course, Xena arrives in time to keep anyone from getting hurt. Draco makes his usual plea, "Join me or fight me." We know Xena's response to that and the fight begins.

.....After Xena wins the fight, Draco does the honorable thing and leaves. Despite his status as a Warlord, Draco still has a certain honorability about him; especially when Xena is involved. The village is saved, Xena has redeemed herself with her family and hometown, it is time for her to move on. As destiny would have it, she and Gabrielle start on their journey of becoming friends and Xena begins to realize that she cannot run away from her past but she can change what she is and use the past to make things better.

By Gins