Daughter of Pomira
No-o-o-o-o!
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Kill them all!
LIEUTENANT
Retreat!
XENA
Hold your ground! We've never retreated!
LIEUTENANT
We've never fought the Horde before! They'll
kill us all!
XENA
Not you, they won't.
Retre-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-eat!
GABRIELLE (voice-over)
That was a lifetime ago.
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It feels like just yesterday. I lost over half my men
to those...there's a northern route. It'll take us
around all of this.
GABRIELLE
Xena, you're not the same person that you were
then. Now, you know more about yourself, now.
You know about the Horde.
XENA
I know they have a code of combat, and I know
one word, kaltaka, but do I understand them?
Come on. They'll be around us by dark. They'll
never know we were here. Come on.
Xena look. Have you ever seen a blonde
Horde girl?
She looks familiar. I don't know from where but...
Stop! They'll kill you!
P'Lee!
Rah-h-h-h-h!
Ah-h-h!
One more pelt, one less Horde.
It's a lovely day for scalping.
Sailo, alo, P'Lee.
MILO
What are you doing? They're Horde! You
let 'em get away.
They're just kids out hunting for food.
And when they're grown, they'll hunt us. I'll
get ten dinars apiece for those scalps as souvenirs.
So you owe me thirty dinars, not counting Gramps, there.
Xena, look at this.
MILO
Xena? The Xena, Destroyer of Nations?
XENA
Ancient history, pal.
MILO
The name's Milo and I'm a history buff, too. Enough
to know that it tends to repeat itself. You ever notice?
Look at this. It's a Roman design. They must have
picked it up in battle.
XENA
They never got this in battle. They got it from me.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
I don't hold out much hope that they're alive. The
Horde don't leave survivors, but Raul was one
of my best men. And his wife, Adiah, was a gifted
healer. I feel I owe it to them to check this out.
GABRIELLE
Imagine if it's true. That poor girl being taken
from her family.
I told you we should have killed them. They creamed
you last time. But you and me working together,
we could really put a hurt on those Horde, not
to mention putting some coin in our pockets.
XENA
You're a mercenary little bastard, Milo.
MILO
Oh, you said it yourself years ago. The only good
Horde is a dead Horde. Words to live by.
XENA
Words to die by. Just ask my men. The few that
survived. Get out of the way.
This is the place.
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Rahl!
Xena.
Rahl, Adiah, this is my friend, Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE
Pleased to meet you.
ADIAH
He's done with fighting, Xena. Tell her, Rahl.
RAHL
She's right. I've quit.
XENA
Good. That's good. But it's not why we're here.
Let's talk inside.
We ran into some of the Horde down by the river
today. We found this.
It was Vanessa's, the one you gave her before
you left.
RAHL
The Horde, took her six years ago. One moment,
she was outside, playing and the next...I searched
'til I found her tattered clothes, torn and burned.
That's when I knew, they killed her, murdered
my little girl in cold blood.
GABRIELLE
She's alive.
RAHL
What?
XENA
There was a blonde, blue-eyed girl with the Horde.
I knew there was something familiar about her,
but with the sling, it...
GABRIELLE
It's gotta be Vanessa.
Raul, you said yourself you'd given up fighting.
You go out there now, and they will cut you
into little pieces.
RAHL
She's my daughter. You expect me to just
leave her with them?
GABRIELLE
No. No, of course not. We can bring her home.
ADIAH
Will you? Please? She's all we ever had.
Will you bring her back to us, please?
GABRIELLE
Yes, of course. Look, don't worry. I know that a child
needs her mother, and her father. Right, Xena?
XENA
Right.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I suppose you were right.
Word has it you're hunting Horde.
XENA
Word has it wrong.
MILO
Oh, come on. Let me in on this. I could be very useful.
GABRIELLE
We're not hunting Horde. We're trying to take a
girl back to her family.
MILO
Fine. If that's the party line, I'll spout it. Just let
me come, huh?
XENA
Get lost, Milo.
MILO
Your loss. But when you're trackin' 'em and they
suddenly vanish, don't come beggin'
me to find 'em for ya.
XENA
It's a deal. Now, beat it.
Can you believe him?
XENA
Gabrielle, I was him. If it wasn't for you
and one word, I'd be there, now.
GABRIELLE
Kaltaka.
XENA
You trust your heart, and--and I respect that,
but...taking Vanessa could stir up a whole
lotta trouble.
GABRIELLE
They took her first. We're just bringing her home,
Xena. I mean, doesn't she deserve to be with the
people that she loves, the people that love her?
XENA
I guess every child deserves that.
GABRIELLE
Well, then, the sooner we bring her back, the better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, that's how they disappear.
XENA
Underground, terrific.
GABRIELLE
Problem?
XENA
No, piece of cake.
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(to Xena) Kaltaka. Kaltaka.
Kaltaka. Dovi, dovi. Kaltaka.
Kaltaka.
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Don't be afraid, Vanessa. I've come to get you
outta here.
ACT TWO
P'Lee. P'Lee.
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P'Lee! P'Lee!
(to Vanessa/P'Lee ) It'll wear off.
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P'Lee. K'su! K'su, P'Lee.
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El'freeon.
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Move it. Get going!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go!
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P'Lee! K'su. Soy pray.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hate small spaces.
No. Forward. Get going!
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Take that!
P'Lee. P'Lee!
I thought you were coming out of the tunnel.
XENA
Yeah, well she panicked. Didn't know me,
started screaming.
GABRIELLE
You pinched her voice?
XENA
It'll come back. The Horde's right behind us. Get
her back across the river. I'll lay a false trail and
meet you there.
P'Lee! Fal'su.
P'Lee! K'su!
EXTRA
P'Lee!
EXTRA
P'Lee!
Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h! Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!
Are you okay? Are-are you sick? Vanessa?
O--o--okay, keep trying. Xena said it was temporary.
VANESSA/P'LEE
P--P'Lee.
GABRIELLE
P--P'Lee? Uh, I don't know that word. I know, um,
kaltaka. Water, right? Kaltaka. Okay. We can do
this. Um, watch. I'm Gabrielle. You're Vanessa.
VANESSA/P'LEE
My name P'Lee.
GABRIELLE
You can talk. You can speak our language. Wait
'til your mother and father hear this.
VANESSA/P'LEE
M--my father, Cirvik. My talk Pomira.
GABRIELLE
No. We're going to take you home. The Horde
will never hurt you again.
VANESSA/P'LEE
Not Horde, Pomira. W--we Pomira. The sky, the
Earth, kaltaka, all know Pomira, s--s--serve Pomira.
And Pomira give...honour.
GABRIELLE
You were honouring the river? Kaltaka?
VANESSA/P'LEE
Pomira honour...life.
You got a funny way 'a showing it. They killed
hundreds of us.
VANESSA/P'LEE
You killers. You--you kill trees, Earth,
all and when we say, "No, go from here." you kill Pomira.
GABRIELLE
(to Xena) Can I talk to you? She won't leave. Right,
Vanessa? I--I mean, P'Lee?
VANESSA/P'LEE
W--why run? Soon Cirvik come. Then, you run.
Come here.
Look, Cirvik is the name-
XENA
For Horde master. Vanessa wasn't a slave. She
wasn't even a servant. She's the adopted daughter
of their leader.
GABRIELLE
That doesn't mean it was right for him to kidnap
her from her mother.
XENA
All I'm saying is they won't give her up without a
fight. And if Vanessa doesn't wanna come, then
maybe we made a complete-
GABRIELLE
Xena, she doesn't wanna come because she
doesn't remember. When she's in her mother's
arms, she'll know that she belongs there. Now,
how can that be wrong?
I know it's strange for you. I mean, after all, you've
been gone for six years. It will get easier. You
know? I mean, your parents, they're-
What is it? Horde?
XENA
No, much worse.
Get up!
MILO
Thought you'd like an escort into town.
XENA
No, what you thought was how easy it would be
to pick off Horde on our trail.
MILO
I love this woman. So, this the little prodigal?
GABRIELLE
Leave her alone, Milo.
MILO
Hey, sweet pea.
XENA
Watch it, Milo.
MILO
Welcome back to civilization.
You were warned.
Stupid savage! You should'a left her where you
found her. More Horde than human.
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Xena's coming! Open the gates!
She's here.
Vanessa, this is your mother and father.
RAHL
Vanessa?
Uh!
VANESSA/P'LEE
P'Lee!
Rahl, remember, she's been gone a long time.
RAHL
Maybe too long.
She's still your daughter. Tell him, Vanessa.
VANESSA/P'LEE
I am P'Lee! Daughter of Cirvik! And he come here
and take me! And kill you all!
Uh! Uh! Uh!
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
The Horde is comin'?
GABRIELLE
No, that's not what she meant.
XENA
Yes, it was. Cirvik and his men are sure to
come after her.
MILO
Just like ya planned. We don't fight on their turf.
We bring them to ours. Brilliant strategy.
What'd I tell ya? A griffin'd shed its wings sooner
'n Xena would lose her taste for Horde blood.
GABRIELLE
You're wrong. I wanted to bring
Vanessa home.
RAHL
The girl you brought is not Vanessa. She's
an animal! She doesn't know us, or want
us. Not anymore.
MILO
I say we hang the girl.
EXTRA
Yeah!
MILO
As a warning to the rest of her kind. Stay
out or else!
ADIAH
No! I won't let you touch her!
XENA
Neither will I. Gabrielle, go take her inside.
EXTRA
Come on, let's kill her.
XENA
We'll sort this out.
Come on, Vanessa. I'm gonna take ya home.
Come with us. Come on.
It's all right. Come on, okay? You're safe. Come on.
Call her an animal.
EXTRA
Take her away.
XENA
(to Milo) Pretty soon, you're gonna get all the
Horde you can handle.
EXTRA
Hang her!
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I say we give her back to the Horde!
EXTRA
Yeah!
EXTRA
Give her back!
XENA
They'll just take her and attack us anyway.
MILO
I'm still for killing her!
EXTRA
Hear, hear.
MILO
Show 'em we mean business!
XENA
And I still stay no. Killing Vanessa won't stop
the Horde.
GARTH
Nothing stops the Horde!
MILO
It's true, they're animals. All they know is killing!
EXTRA
Let's destroy the Horde.
XENA
Okay, settle down! Garth and Milo are right. Nothing
stops those animals but a sword.
MILO
You're saying all-out war.
XENA
I'm saying total wipeout. No prisoners, no terms.
Complete annihilation.
MILO
Marry me.
XENA
I want complete command.
GARTH
If anyone can lead us, it's you.
XENA
Then let's get started. And if this works, you'll
never fear the Horde again.
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Rahl? Look, I--I know th--that this didn't turn
out like you'd 'a thought. You have to deal with
Vanessa sometime.
RAHL
How? Lock her up? Cage her? No. No, that
animal...she's not Vanessa.
GABRIELLE
Of course she is. Under all that paint, she still
needs her father's love. She needs it now
more than ever.
RAHL
You heard her. I'm not her father! She's daughter
to the Horde! The little girl I loved is gone.
GABRIELLE
The little girl may be gone. Every child grows up.
Look, I'm sure that she's changed a lot, but you
have to give her a chance.
RAHL
To do what?! No, Gabrielle. We lost our daughter
six years ago. This girl, she's a stranger, a savage
named P'Lee. My Vanessa's gone!
Vanessa?
VANESSA/P'LEE
P'Lee.
She'd rather be called by her other name.
Tanabi. Uh, tanabi. T--t...lamb. Lamb stew.
Glory, tanabi. Glory, baka.
She's honouring the lamb.
Kara?
The doll. It's her name, Kara.
Father?
Forgive me. I should have kept searching. I love
you, Vanessa. By the gods! I'll never let
those Horde savages near you again. I swear it.
Tana! Tataray ta'ree!
ADIAH
They're not savages to her, Rahl! Remember,
those people fed and clothed her for six years!
RAHL
Those years belonged to us! They stole her
childhood from us, and I'll never forgive 'em for
it! Never!
Garth said you wanted to see me.
XENA
Yeah.
GABRIELLE
What's happening?
MILO
History in the making, or should I say repeating
itself? Only this time, it'll be the Horde who call
a retreat. Right, Xena?
XENA
That's right. Now, take some men and go and
check the south wall before we boil up the oil.
MILO
She's back.
I'm back.
GABRIELLE
This is my fault. If I hadn't been so blind about
my feelings towards Vanessa, then none
of this would have happened.
XENA
You're right.
EXTRA
Keep your eye on the wall!
XENA
It's because of you that we have this chance.
GABRIELLE
To wage a war?
XENA
To forge a peace.
GABRIELLE
By fighting?
XENA
No, by using the only tool that we have to reach
them. Vanessa.
GABRIELLE
What?
XENA
All of this, Gabrielle, is just so I can gain the trust
of the soldiers. Vanessa is the only one who can
communicate with both sides.
GABRIELLE
Yes, she can, but what if she won't?
XENA
You honestly think she's gonna stand by and
watch her family slaughtered?
GABRIELLE
I don't know. She's confused. So am I.
XENA
What about?
GABRIELLE
I thought that she deserved to know her family,
to be able to make a choice. I thought that she'd
be happier with them than she would with the
Horde, and now I'm -- I don't know.
XENA
Cirvik loves her. I saw it in his eyes, and
I heard it in his voice.
GABRIELLE
You know, you'd think I'd learn not to meddle
with families.
XENA
You were right to wanna give her a choice, Gabrielle,
but now we have to stand by the one she makes,
whatever it is.
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Stay alert! Watch for any movement!
Xena, I know you followed me.
Guess again, sweet pea.
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
You savages got any gods, you better pray
to 'em now.
You know, this thing has really come in handy,
lately. You're still murdering children, Milo.
MILO
A Horde is a Horde, whatever their age.
XENA
Look at her. Does she seem like Horde to you?
MILO
Not to look at, but she's Horde, all right. Inside.
Ain't that right, P'Lee?
XENA
Get back to your post. And if you ever desert
again, I will hand you over to the Horde myself.
You all right?
VANESSA/P'LEE
He hates Pomira.
XENA
Pomira hate him...and the rest of us. It's a bad
situation all around.
VANESSA/P'LEE
Many will die.
XENA
On both sides. But you can stop that, P'Lee.
VANESSA/P'LEE
How?
XENA
You understand both sides, both languages.
You can act as a bridge between us a way of
communicating without killing each other.
VANESSA/P'LEE
What I care?
Because if you don't care, both your families
get hurt.
My family Pomira. Cirvik, h--his daughter die
a--and he choose me for his daughter.
He love me.
XENA
I understand that. But you can make him understand
that you have family here, too. Parents who love
you and who would die for you.
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Soldiers, be at the ready.
P'Lee!
XENA
That's him. That's Cirvik.
GABRIELLE
Xena?
XENA
(to Garth) Open the gates!
GARTH
No!
XENA
I'm in command, here. I said, "Open the gates."
EXTRA
Come with P'Lee!
Atta-a-a-ack!
Out of the way. This one's no kid.
XENA
Can't let you do it, Milo.
MILO
Then stop me.
I hate that.
Vanessa, please. Please don't go. You're home.
Please, stay with us, Vanessa.
(to Cirvik) Da'vo. No. Da'vo. So'aliki. Na'veenes.
Bes. (to Rahl) Both. Both my father
RAHL
Vanessa, your mother and I want you to come home.
ADIAH
Please, Vanessa.
VANESSA/P'LEE
P'Lee.
You keep. I see her soon.
(to Pomira) A toe ta, toe tee. On'i. So'vee, von'i.
Cirvik say, "N--no fight, no war." Say, "Family."
Now that we can cross the river, it'll save us at
least a day's travel.
GABRIELLE
Good.
XENA
You still thinking about Rahl?
GABRIELLE
I wonder if he'll ever get past his hatred?
XENA
Maybe. I did.
And now, thanks to you, he'll have Vanessa to
help him.
GABRIELLE
Thanks to me?
XENA
Sure. If you hadn't insisted that we go after Vanessa,
then I would never have crossed that river. It was
your faith in love and family that convinced me
it was right.
It was wrong.
XENA
No, Gabrielle, because of you, Rahl and Adiah
now know that their daughter is alive and happy,
instead of dead like they thought. And because
of you, Vanessa now has two loving homes
and--and because of you, for the first time ever,
there's peace between us and the Hor...the Pomira.
GABRIELLE
I did all that?
XENA
Mm-hmm.
GABRIELLE
And they call you the hero? Hmm.
XENA
You wanna switch? Fine. You kick butt, and I'll
take notes.
END OF ACT FOUR
STARRING
Lucy Lawless as Xena
Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
GUEST CAST
Beth Allen as Vanesa/P'Lee
Craig Ancell as Milo
Bruce Hopkins as Rahl
Mandy McMullin as Adiah
Watchman Rivers as Cirvik
Andrew Kovacevich as Garth
Rakai Karaitiana as Horde Warrior
Bob Johnson as Lieutenant
Frederick Bedford as Villager
Written by: Linda McGibney
Directed by: Patrick Norris
Disclaimer: No Blonde-Haired, Blue-Eyed Horde girls or their extended families were harmed during the production of this motion picture.
Lakota toti. Bonai. Soli bonai.
