Orphan of War
This transcript is dedicated to the memory of Charles Siebert.
Xena, these totems don't look too friendly. These
are Centaur totems.
XENA
Dagnine's already been here. Looks like the
Centaurs drove him off, but he won't give up.
GABRIELLE
The big question is what kind of welcome you're
going to get from the Centaurs.
XENA
I don't know. I fought the Centaurs a long time
ago. I can only hope they believe I'm here to help.
GABRIELLE
Wasn't Dagnine in your army back then?
XENA
Yes. He was a very capable warrior, but even I
wouldn't turn my back on him. We had the Centaurs
surrounded. They fought bravely, but it was only
a matter of time.
GABRIELLE
If they were surrounded, why didn't you kill them?
XENA
We reached an agreement. I pulled my army out
and promised never to return. Gabrielle, get your
staff ready.
GABRIELLE
Centaurs?
XENA
No.
You want it? You've got it.
Centaurs! Retreat!
Xena, Destroyer of Nations. You promised you'd
never return.
XENA
That Xena never will. I'm sure you figured it out.
Dagnine's here for the Ixion stone.
KALEIPUS
And what are you here for, or shouldn't I have
to guess?
XENA
I came to stop Dagnine. I'm not here for anything,
or...or anybody.
GABRIELLE
Anybody?
Solan.
SOLAN
I wanna kill her, Uncle!
KALEIPUS
I won't have you thinking that way.
SOLAN
But she killed my father. She killed the great Borias!
KALEIPUS
Leave us, now. We'll talk later.
SOLAN
(to Xena) You've just met your greatest enemy.
Do you know him?
XENA
Yes. He's my son.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
I've got it.
EXTRA
Hey, no high-hoofing!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stop right there! You won't get the Ixion stone.
All of us are willing to die to keep you from that
power. And Borias, the man who betrayed Xena,
to become the greatest friend of the Centaurs,
told us everything. He may have died at your command,
but he will live forever in our legends.
XENA
I'm willing to withdraw my army.
Xena, Destroyer of Nations, isn't known to bargain.
Take this child. He's my son, and the son of Borias.
If he stays with me, he'll become a target for all
those who hate me, and he'll learn things a child
should never know. He'll become like me.
The son of Borias will be raised as my own.
I want to talk to you.
XENA
I told you everything.
Yeah, now you've told me everything. Everything
except why. I mean, how could you walk out on
your own child?
XENA
You don't understand.
GABRIELLE
No, I do understand. Any woman would. I just
can't believe you did it. I mean, he's your son, for
Gaea's sake.
XENA
I didn't come here for him. I came to stop Dagnine.
GABRIELLE
But you are here, now. You're gonna tell him, right?
XENA
Get outta my way.
GABRIELLE
Xena.
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I'm paying you for your incredible eyesight, See'er.
But even I know that Xena's there.
SEE'ER
Yes, Lord Dagnine. She's amazing. She can
sense me watching her.
MEKLAN
From this distance?
DAGNINE
Yeah, yeah, she could do that when I was in her
army. It's so irritating. What is she saying?
SEE'ER
They were blocked by trees most of the time.
So I couldn't read her lips. But, she's troubled
by something.
DAGNINE
Hah. She knows I'm gonna find the Ixion stone.
Keep watching. I need to know her plans. I need,
I need something. I need anything to fight her with.
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No, no, no!
KALEIPUS
How I raise my son is none of your business.
You gave up that right a long time ago.
XENA
I don't want him growing up to be a warrior. He
shouldn't be carrying a sword. Has he been
trained to use it?
KALEIPUS
Don't be foolish. I don't want him to be a warrior,
either. But just as you gave him up to protect him,
I have to give him the freedom to choose his own
path. I thought that's what you wanted as well.
XENA
It is.
Amazing. I see so much...change in your eyes.
You aren't the woman I faced ten years ago. You
aren't that warrior. Let him go, Xena. He's got a
family and a home here. He's not your son anymore.
XENA
Are you telling me this for my good or yours?
KALEIPUS
For his...and mine. For nine years, Solan has
been my son. I love him more than my very life.
And the thought of losing him...you can't possibly
know what that feels like.
XENA
Do you know what it's like to be a mother without
her child?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi.
XENA
Dagnine's staked out the southern end of the
territory, near the cliffs. If he wants to take the
village, he'll have to fight uphill. But it's the stone
he's after.
GABRIELLE
So, what does this stone do?
XENA
Ixion was the father of the Centaurs. When he
had the choice of making them either wicked or
noble, he chose noble. All their evil is captured
inside a stone.
GABRIELLE
So whoever has the stone has the power of Ixion's
wicked creation.
XENA
Right.
GABRIELLE
I can see why the Centaurs tried to stop you, and
why Borias turned against you.
XENA
Borias was a very wise man. He found his way a lot
sooner than I did. But I didn't kill him. I ordered him
captured unharmed. And I don't know what happened.
GABRIELLE
That's not what Solan thinks.
XENA
Gabrielle, a lot of people think that giving birth
ends when the baby takes its first free breath.
It's not true. My son has grown inside of me every
day, stronger and stronger. I can try to deny it,
but I can never ignore it. How can I claim something
that I walked away from so long ago?
GABRIELLE
I don't know what it's like to have a son. But I do
know what it's like to have a mother. And he
should know that.
XENA
Don't you even think about it. This is none of your
business. I'll handle it my own way.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
See'er. What? What have you got for me?
SEE'ER
I may have your weapon. Would it interest you to
know Xena has a son?
DAGNINE
Aw-w. Immensely.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can come down now, Solan. I know you're
up there.
Get away from my father and mother.
XENA
I came to pay my respects.
I didn't kill your father. I wish you'd believe that.
SOLAN
You killed him. My mother was left all alone.
XENA
What do you know about your mother?
SOLAN
What do you care?
XENA
I care. What was she like?
SOLAN
My uncle says she was wonderful. She never
thought bad things about anyone. Even you. She
had a smile like a breeze on a warm day. And
she could sing like Orpheus. I wish I could have
heard her sing.
XENA
Did your uncle ever tell you that she didn't want
you to be a warrior?
SOLAN
How did you know that?
XENA
Well, a woman like her, without evil in her heart,
wouldn't want her son to take up the sword.
SOLAN
My father fought you. If I can die for something
that noble-
XENA
Ah! Don't confuse nobility with anger and revenge.
Your father wasn't like that. And I know, 'cause
we were very close once. Did you know he could
sing? We used to sing together.
I could sing for you.
She spotted us!
WARRIOR
She did?
SEE'ER
Quick! Come on! Keep going; keep going!
WARRIOR
But, she's all the way up the valley.
SEE'ER
Not Xena. Not with this much time to-
Boo!
Just so you know, I've cut off the flow of blood to
your brain. You'll be dead in thirty seconds if you
don't talk. Now, what have you told Dagnine?
SEE'ER
Dagnine knows everything. He knows you're
here to stop him. He knows about your son!
Solan! Solan! Look, I know you're here. I just
want to talk to you, get to know you a bit.
Why?
GABRIELLE
To be your friend.
SOLAN
You're Xena's friend.
GABRIELLE
Yeah. She's your friend, too.
SOLAN
Where'd you get the staff?
I got it from the Amazons. They use it to defend
themselves.
SOLAN
I've got a sword to do that.
GABRIELLE
Yeah. But I learned a long time ago, that a sword
makes you a target. Not with a staff. You see,
there are no sharp ends to threaten anyone. You
don't have to pretend you're a warrior.
SOLAN
I am a warrior!
How did you do that?
GABRIELLE
I did it without a sword, and without being a warrior.
Do you want me to teach you?
SOLAN
Yeah.
Look out! Solan, run! Solan, run!
SOLAN
I can help!
Run!
No!
SOLAN
Put me down!
MEKLAN
She can take the message to Xena, that we
have the boy.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
Xena.
XENA
Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
Where have you been.
XENA
What's wrong? Are you all right?
GABRIELLE
Yeah, they--they got him. They took Solan.
XENA
Go back to the village. Tell Kaleipus to stay put.
Dagnine will cut his cavalry into little pieces in
these dense forests.
GABRIELLE
What are you going to do?
XENA
I'm going to get my son.
Yah!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leave me alone!
EXTRA
Make it sharper.
EXTRA
To the west.
Make sure these men stay alert. Xena'll try anything
to get him back.
Yah!
I'll be in my tent.
MEKLAN
The key.
Bye-bye, little boy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You are an amazing woman.
XENA
And you haven't changed a bit. Still as charismatic
as ever.
DAGNINE
No, no, no, I--I have changed a little bit.
Ah, look, look, you see, you see? That was from
Thersites. I understand you took care of him,
though. And I'm smarter, a lot smarter. You see,
I found your fatal flaw. You were right to keep
him secret so long. And, giving him to the centaurs,
a stroke of genius. But, I know, and I possess.
You were always a bargaining man. I assume
that's what you want to do otherwise, you would
have called in your guards by now.
DAGNINE
That, and the fact that you could kill me in two
steps. Oh, but you'd never see your boy again,
would you?
Very well. There are three things that I do want.
One, the stone.
XENA
Don't have it. Don't know where it is.
DAGNINE
I do. It's in the Ixion caverns, somewhere near
these cliffs. It's only a matter of time before we
find it. Which leads me to number three. I want
you out of the way. Leave the valley.
XENA
Not without my son.
You're hardly in a position to bargain, now, are
you? I'm sure you get through all those guards,
and into that cage. But your son would be dead. No,
I'm the one who has the power now, Xena. You are
at my beck and call.
XENA
You forgot the second thing.
DAGNINE
Oh, yeah. Well-
-remembering that I have your son, I just want a
bit of warmth, a little human kindness.
XENA
If only you were human.
All clear here.
EXTRA
Nothing.
EXTRA
Keep pushing!
EXTRA
Eyes on those woods.
Xena's out there somewhere!
Solan, no!
SOLAN
Got it.
EXTRA
Hey! I need a hand with the cart.
MEKLAN
Hey, it's Xena! Get her!
Solan, catch. Okay?
Get the boy!
Xena, I can't hold on!
EXTRA
The Ixion cavern!
XENA
I got'cha.
Archers!
EXTRA
Xena!
EXTRA
Ready?
Looks like the only way out is down.
DAGNINE
Well, fire!
XENA
You trust me?
ACT THREE
Yes! We found it! The Ixion cavern! Look! Go get
the gear! We're going down.
MEKLAN
What about Xena?
DAGNINE
Well, if the fall didn't kill her, I'll have the pleasure.
Move!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have to hurry.
SOLAN
Ah-h, wait! My arm hurts so bad.
Solan, you're arm's broken. I'll have to deaden
the pain while I do this.
It doesn't hurt.
XENA
I can only cut off the feeling for a little while. When
I put it back, it's going to hurt worse than before, okay?
SOLAN
Okay.
XENA
I need a splint.
No.
XENA
What good is a sword without an arm to hold it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why did you come for me?
XENA
I thought maybe you could use my help. You
were very brave back there. You didn't freeze.
SOLAN
Uh, I was too scared to freeze.
XENA
That's good instincts. Most people react the other
way. Your father was very brave.
SOLAN
He was a great warrior.
XENA
His bravery wasn't in being a warrior. It came
from knowing what was in his heart. He recognized
what was right, and he stood up for it.
SOLAN
Against you.
XENA
Yes, against me. That was important to him,
even though...even though he and I were very
good friends for a very long time.
SOLAN
I don't want to talk about my father anymore. Before
he became good, did he hurt a lot of people?
XENA
Yes, he did. But, if it wasn't for him, the Centaurs
wouldn't be alive now. Kaleipus, your friends, they'd
all be gone.
SOLAN
You would have killed them.
XENA
Oh, yes, I would have killed them all. Thanks to
Borias, I didn't do it. And for that, I owe him more
than you'll ever know. This is the best I can do
for you right now. This is going to hurt, ready?
Shhh. It's all right. It's all gonna be all right.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have to give her more time. Look, Xena will
be back.
KALEIPUS
Dagnine has my son. I'm not waiting any longer.
GABRIELLE
It isn't safe. Centaurs are no match for men in
the woods.
KALEIPUS
We have men with us. We'll take our chances.
EXTRA
Yes.
EXTRA
Yes.
KALEIPUS
Still, Gabrielle has a point. I'll ask for volunteers.
But no one should feel ashamed for not coming.
DAYLON
I'm not staying here while Solan's in danger.
EXTRA
We'll fight.
EXTRA
We're with you.
EXTRA
We're behind you.
Don't expect me to stay behind.
KALEIPUS
Follow me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is it. The Ixion temple. This is where the stone is kept.
SOLAN
Where?
XENA
The altar.
It's gone.
XENA
Borias, he did find the stone.
SOLAN
He found it?
XENA
All the evil from Ixion's wicked Centaur is in that
stone. Whoever owns it can become that Centaur.
He must've hidden it to keep me or--or anyone else from finding it.
SOLAN
These hand prints, that means they're my father's?
XENA
Yeah.
Wow.
XENA
We've got to find a way out before Dagnine gets here.
SOLAN
You can take them on. What you did up top was
incredible.
XENA
Yeah, I got us here, didn't I? We're gonna need
some help.
This is where all those music lessons come in
handy. Just kidding.
Listen!
KALEIPUS
What in Zeus' name is that?
GABRIELLE
If you don't know, it must be Xena.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's that?
DAGNINE
How should I know? But I don't think I'm gonna
like it. This way!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xena! Are you there?
XENA
Gabrielle!
GABRIELLE
The rope's coming down. Catch it.
They've got it.
Okay.
GABRIELLE
Pull!
Grab the boy!
Bring it back. Hurry.
Pull!
Goodbye, fellas!
My sword!
DAGNINE
Xena, I have the stone. I have the Ixion Stone!
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
Everything. All the strength and discipline of
Ixion's creation's right here. With this, I'll sweep
the world like a rampaging wind. I'll kill Xena.
I'll kill Hercules. I'll take Athens! I've got so much
to do. I'll have to make a list.
Sir, if this doesn't work-
DAGNINE
If this doesn't work, one of you gets my tent, the
other gets my horse.
Set more guards! There's no telling which way
Dagnine will come from.
EXTRA
Get the archers ready!
XENA
No. No, regular arrows won't penetrate the hide
of Ixion's evil centaur. We need something stronger,
something--something with more power.
KALEIPUS
How much more power?
XENA
A lot. Find a wagon. We can hitch a...crossbeam
to it.
KALEIPUS
That might do it.
XENA
It'll have to.
KALEIPUS
It'll be done.
We need some help here. We've got a crossbow
to build.
How's Solan?
EXTRA
Yes, Kaleipus.
GABRIELLE
He's okay. I'm going to re-splint his arm.
EXTRA
Okay, check that.
GABRIELLE
He won't admit that it hurts. I guess he's a lot
like his mom.
XENA
Gabrielle-
GABRIELLE
Xena, now before you say anything, I, well when
you jumped at me earlier, I--I deserved it. I'm
not saying that I agree with you. But, well I pride
myself on being your friend. And I should've
realized that you were hurting and-
XENA
That's okay.
GABRIELLE
I'm here for you.
XENA
Always.
KALEIPUS
Xena, it just occurred to me, we have no chance
if he doesn't attack. If he decides to take the stone
and leave...
XENA
Oh, Dagnine will be here. I didn't exactly make
things easy for him when he was in my army.
KALEIPUS
Let's hope his hatred can blind him enough.
Xena, about Solan. If anything happens to me,
it'll make the decision easier.
XENA
What're you talking about?
KALEIPUS
I mean, that if I die today, I--I want you to take
care of him. No matter what you decide to tell him,
I know he'll be safe with you.
XENA
You should never have been my enemy.
KALEIPUS
This Xena never was my enemy.
This will be better. You'll be doing back flips in
no time.
SOLAN
I could never do them before.
GABRIELLE
Trust me, you're ahead of the game. Xena's pretty
amazing, isn't she?
SOLAN
Yeah. She sure knows a lot.
GABRIELLE
You know, she's a good person, too. She always
does what's right, even when it hurts her. I forget
that sometimes.
SOLAN
She's not like I heard.
GABRIELLE
You know, this is the only Xena I've ever known.
I find it hard to understand the hatred that she
gets sometimes, when we travel, from people
who just don't know her the way I know her. I
guess they're afraid of the old Xena.
SOLAN
I'm not afraid of her anymore.
GABRIELLE
Do you still hate her?
SOLAN
No.
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We're ready to go.
XENA
If we can get him between those two trees, we
stand a chance of hitting him. But we only get
one shot.
DAYLON
I still think we can take care of him with our archers.
KALEIPUS
No, Xena knows what she's talking about. We
could only slow him down.
XENA
You might have to. The main thing is getting him here.
GABRIELLE
What do you want me to do?
KALEIPUS and XENA
Protect Solan.
GABRIELLE
Okay, a consensus. We'll be in the barricade.
It's starting.
KALEIPUS
Posts! Dagnine's here. Move!
We'll give you all the time we can.
That sword. That's my father's sword!
No!
You can't stand up to me, Kaleipus. I am Ixion!
KALEIPUS
You tell him that when you meet him in Tartarus!
Come on, Dagnine. You want me, don't you?
Remember the way I treated you? Remember
all those beatings you got at my orders?
You're trying to make me angry. I know your ways,
Xena. I know how you outsmart your opponents.
But it won't work this time. You can't make me
angry, because I've already won!
XENA
Kill me, then.
You can do better than that.
I think you're the one getting angry, Xena. Frustrated,
perhaps, that someone so beneath you is now
your master!
You wanna know a secret? This is Borias' sword.
The last time I saw Borias' sword was when I stuck
it in his back!
XENA
You killed him.
DAGNINE
Uh-huh. I killed him.
Xena! Xena! Xena! Xena!
SOLAN
Xena!
Solan. I'd like to talk to you.
SOLAN
I know you didn't kill my father, Xena. You're not
the person you were. It's okay. Are you and
Gabrielle leaving? I mean, you could stay for a
while. We could have a lot of fun.
XENA
Solan, sometimes people do things that they
regret. Things which at the time seem like the
right thing to do.
SOLAN
Like when I tried to hurt you.
XENA
Oh. A little. But don't feel bad. Often we don't know
if the things we do are right or wrong un--until
much later. Something I did a long time ago
was wrong.
SOLAN
You mean, trying to kill the Centaurs and get the stone?
Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. I'm sorry
for what happened to your father and your mother.
But here, you've got an uncle who loves you. And
you've got friends who'll protect you. And no one
should take that away from you. I guess, what I'm
saying is, it's time to let go of the past and recognize
that you have things here which I can only dream about.
There are things which I would wish for my son.
SOLAN
Okay. Friends shouldn't feel bad toward each
other. We are friends, aren't we?
We'll always be friends. Don't you ever forget that.
Gabrielle and I have got to be going now.
I'm not a warrior. I don't think I wanna be.
XENA
Your mother would be very proud of you.
SOLAN
You think so?
XENA
I know so.
SOLAN
I think she would have liked you, Xena. I think
you two would've gotten along.
STARRING
Lucy Lawless as Xena
Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
GUEST CAST
David Taylor as Solan
Paul Gittins as Kaleipus
Mark Ferguson as Dagnine
Alexander Campbell as Meklan
Stephen Papps as See'er
Peter Tait as Daylon
Richard Adams as Warrior
Written by: Steven L. Sears
Directed by: Charles Siebert
Disclaimer: No Sleazy Warlords who deem it necessary to drink magic elixers that turn them into scaly centaurs were harmed during the production of this motion picture.
