The Rheingold
It looks good on me...don'tcha think?
I'm waiting for you.
You don't get it, do you?! As long as I wear this
ring - ya can't win!
Come o-o-o-on. Come on. Ah-h-h-h-h!
She-e-e-yi!
He-e-yah!
Ha-ha-ha!
Don't think you've won anything! These chains
will hold you for eternity, and you will never use the
powers of the ring - never!
Yah! Yah! Yah!
Ye-e-e-e-e-e-hah-h-h-h-h-h!
You sure about that?
EXTRA
I'll take one.
EXTRA
I need one.
EXTRA
I never burned my hand.
What?
XENA
Ya gonna finish that?
GABRIELLE
All of it.
EXTRA
A drink, sir?
XENA
I thought the portions here were kind of small.
GABRIELLE
You're not getting mine.
XENA
Come on, Gabrielle. You're playing with your food.
GABRIELLE
No, I'm relishing it.
You got a problem? I don't appreciate people staring
at me while I'm eating.
BEOWULF
Are you Xena?
XENA
Yeah, who wants to know?
BEOWULF
My name is Beowulf.
XENA
You got business with me, Beowulf?
I gotta talk to this man, Gabrielle.
ACT ONE
All right.
What's this about?
XENA
Nothing.
Hm-m. Do you want my food?
XENA
No, I've lost my appetite.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Still keeping secrets from me-
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-after all these years.
Look...it's something I did a long time before I met
you. I just don't feel like talking about it right now.
GABRIELLE
All right.
XENA
I'm not trying to shut you out. You know our
friendship's the most important thing in my life,
but in this case-
GABRIELLE
Xena...you don't have to tell me. Part of being a
friend is letting people keep secrets. I respect that.
XENA
Okay.
Gabrielle, I've gone to take care of some unfinished
business. This mission is so dangerous, I'm
afraid I won't survive and I can't ask you to die with
me once again. Whatever happens know that my
love for you is endless. Xena.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I know Xena wouldn't have done this...if she didn't
feel this was something she had to do...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
By herself. I debated whether to respect her wish.
But I can't. Her path is my path.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've been following her now, for weeks. Her trail
has taken me north - due north - farther north
than I've ever been.
Is there more?
Excuse me. Does your tapestry have a story
behind it?
MERCHANT
You're not from around here, I take it.
GABRIELLE
No.
MERCHANT
Hah, well, these women that, eh, ride the flying
horses, they're called Valkyries - Odin's elite guard.
GABRIELLE
Odin?
MERCHANT
Mm-hm-m.
GABRIELLE
The king of the Norse gods?
MERCHANT
Mm-m.
So, are the Valkyrie gods?
MERCHANT
No. They are mortal, but Odin teaches his favourite
Valkyrie some runes.
GABRIELLE
Runes?
MERCHANT
They are magical, old Norse writings. They contain
chants that give great power to the one who knows them.
This one - here?
MERCHANT
Hm-m.
GABRIELLE
She looks different from the rest.
MERCHANT
Yes. Now what was her name?
BRUNNHILDA
Xena.
GABRIELLE
Xena?
Do you know about this Valkyrie Xena?
BRUNNHILDA
Well...studying her has been the passion of my life.
GABRIELLE
Have you seen her recently?
BRUNNHILDA
Look...Xena's reign of terror ended almost thirty-five
years ago. She's lo-o-o-o-ong since disappeared.
My name is Gabrielle. I have come a long way to
find out about this Xena. Please, will you tell me
what you know?
She came to us from a distant land in the East.
She called it Chin.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yah!
BRUNNHILDA (voice-over)
We call it the "Land That Sent Us a Demon."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who-o-oa.
Hey, there. Who'd you mess with.
ODIN
No one is capable of doing this to me without
my consent.
XENA
What kind of an idiot has himself crucified?
ODIN
I don't wish to take part in the struggle of life anymore.
XENA
Why would you wanna do that?
ODIN
I am Odin, king of the Norse gods. It is my duty to
bring peace to the Norse country. Yet as I sit in
Valhalla, and watch the bitter struggle called life
on this Earth, I ask - "Are we doomed to live in a
constant state of endless conflict?
XENA
Damn straight. That's what makes life so worth
living. You know, every day I wake up and I feel
pumped by the knowledge that there is always
someone around the next corner - someone for
me to challenge, to fight, and to conquer.
ODIN
Someday...someone may conquer you.
XENA
Precisely...which is why I don't have time to waste
chatting with a god who doesn't know what to do
with his immortality. (to horse) Chk-chk.
Wait.
Who are you?
XENA
The name's Xena.
You know, you can't escape the struggle, Odin.
Ya gotta embrace it.
BRUNNHILDA (voice-over)
Xena brought Odin out of his despair by sharing
with him her lust for life. He, in turn, made her
a Valkyrie.
Yah! Yah!
Xena excelled in her new role, but it was only a
matter of time before she came-
XENA
Yah!
-into conflict with the woman who was the leader
of the Valkyrie and Odin's lover - Grinhilda.
Yah! Yah!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
They outnumber us two to one, and they have
superior weapons. Maybe we should surrender.
Wrong!
FIRST VIKING
It's a Valkyrie.
XENA
Did someone say "Surrender"? What does surrender
give you?
The ability to fight another day, a chance to see
their families again and the berserkers who were
chasing them will have an opportunity to show mercy.
XENA
This is a battlefield! The only thing to do here is fight.
(to First Viking) Your pursuers come over that rise
in seconds. So you can surrender and crawl back
to your hovels and the everlasting scorn of your kinfolk, or-
-you can go out in a blaze of glory - and fight and
die in Odin's name!
Odin!
EXTRAS
Odin!
XENA
Odi-i-i-i-i-in!
Odi-i-i-in!
And what exactly do you desire?
XENA
Pour me some wine and I'll have to show you
after dinner.
Oh...Grinhilda, you're late. Where have ya been?
GRINHILDA
Well, I've been escorting slain soldiers to their
quarters here in Valhalla.
XENA
They're all good soldiers, willing to die with Odin's
name on their lips.
GRINHILDA
Escorting the dead is our sacred duty. There's
no joy in that duty when brave young men are
killed over a senseless battle for greed.
Greed is one of the fundamentals of life. It's like
sex. It's--it's like the will to power. It's survival.
GRINHILDA
Not their survival.
XENA
Oh. No, not theirs, but theirs is a greater reward.
Dying with a sword in their hand honours their
lord and master Odin and earns them a place at
his eternal banquet.
GRINHILDA
Odin, this is madness.
ODIN
Oh, I don't know, Grinhilda. Makes some sense
to me.
If you're embracing her worldview...there is no
room here for me. I'll go.
I loved her once.
XENA
Trust me, sire...you can live without love.
Poor Xena.
BRUNNHILDA (voice-over)
Poor Xena?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You haven't been listening very well, have you?
GABRIELLE
Xena thought that she could live without love. I
know that she can't, 'cause she's my friend. Is
there anything else you can tell me to help me
find her?
BRUNNHILDA
Camp here tonight - I'll come visit you this evening.
I'll tell you what I know. Maybe something will help.
GABRIELLE
I'd appreciate that.
I don't know the details of Xena's mission but
I'm beginning to understand her goal. She wants
to correct some great wrong she did in the past.
My dear friend's curse is to spend the rest of her
life seeking a redemption she'll never allow herself.
Brunnhilda? Is that you?
Brunnhilda?
ACT TWO
You're pretty good. You cut me with my own
sword - that's impressive.
I can't tell whether you're better than me or not,
though, and to prove it, I think one of us would
have to die and I don't want that.
Why did you attack me?
BRUNNHILDA
To prove to you that I am worthy to fight alongside Xena.
If what you're telling me is true and Xena's still
alive, I am on the verge of realizing a lifelong
dream. I'll be able to meet the great Xena. Let me
help you find her. I know these woods like the
back of my hand.
GABRIELLE
If you can tell me everything that you know about
i>Xena and these Valkyries, I bet I could figure it out.
BRUNNHILDA
All right, where did I leave off?
GABRIELLE
Xena won Odin from Grinhilda.
BRUNNHILDA
Right.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
And, of course, that wasn't enough for Xena.
You learn quickly.
XENA
That's the power you're going to give me? But couldn't
I do that by just rubbing together a couple'a sticks?
Well, couldn't I?
ODIN
No. You've only just begun exploring it. You can
go much further.
If you keep practicing, one day you'll be able to harness
all your energy into a flame that will burn for as
long as you wish.
XENA
Turn all of my bodily energy into a bonfire. Sounds
like self-sacrifice. I'm not into that, Odin.
ODIN
Xena, I have given you everything I give to the
other Valkyrie.
XENA
I want more.
ODIN
Like what?
Odin...I'm...tell me about the Rheingold.
Oh, I see.
Wh--where are you going?
XENA
I can't give my love to someone who doesn't trust
me, Odin. I can't.
ODIN
Your love? What are you talking about? I thought
you could live without love.
XENA
I lied.
Xena.
I had no idea you felt this way.
The first thing you should know - the Rheingold
is very dangerous to someone who hasn't forsaken
their love.
Xena is moving up the Rhein searching for the Rhein maidens.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
How does she know about the maidens?
You told her. She knew you wouldn't tell her if you
thought she had forsaken love, so she acted as
if she was in love with you, didn't she?
That's ridiculous! How would she know that the
power of the Rheingold is only available to those
who have forsaken their love?
GRINHILDA
Everybody knows what the gold does to a loving
heart. The local bards sing songs about it.
ODIN
The local bards know this?
GRINHILDA
Oh, you ought to mix with the people more, Odin.
What they don't know is how to find the Rheingold.
Now, however, Xena does. Give me back command
of the Valkyrie. I can stop her.
So Xena headed for the Rhein river, in hope she
could get the Rhein maidens to lead her to the gold.
XENA
Yah!
BRUNNHILA(voice-over)
But Grinhilda and the other Valkyrie weren't far behind.
GABRIELLE (voice-over)
They couldn't stop her, though, could they?
Yah! Yah! Yah!
Get her!
XENA
Yah-h-h-h-h!
EXTRAS
Yah-h-h-h-h!
XENA
Yah-h-h-h-h-h-h!
EXTRA
Yah! Hyah-h-h-h-h-h!
Yah-h-h-h-h-h! Yah-h-h-h-h-h! Yah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-
h-h-h-h-h-h! Che-e-e-e-e-e-yah!
Yah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!
Ha-ha!
EXTRA
Yah-h-h-h-h-h!
XENA
Yah-h-h-h-h-h!
Yah!
EXTRA
Yah!
EXTRA
Yah!
Yah!
EXTRA
Yah!
XENA
Yah-h-h-h-h-h-h!
She-e-e-e-e-e-yah!
Yah!
Xena! Aaarg!
ACT THREE
Chk-chk. Yah!
So now, only the Rhein maidens stood between
Xena and ultimate power.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sister, come join us. Our new friend is delightful.
I think I love her.
SECOND RHEIN MAIDEN
You fall in love too easily, sister.
THIRD RHEIN MAIDEN
I love her, too.
FIRST RHEIN MAIDEN
Be quiet! She's my friend.
SECOND RHEIN MAIDEN
Hm-m-m.
Hmph.
I can't show you that!
XENA
Come on, just a peek.
FIRST RHEIN MAIDEN
It's strictly forbidden.
XENA
Well, how can I be a Rhein maiden if I don't see it?
FIRST RHEIN MAIDEN
You want to become a Rhein maiden?
XENA
Sure. Then I can play with you all day.
Follow me.
Where is it?
All right.
The Rheingold.
You mustn't touch it.
XENA
Yes, I must.
Are you mad? The Rheingold will only bring about
your destruction.
XENA
Only if I haven't forsaken love.
FIRST RHEIN MAIDEN
Have you?
XENA
Yah!
Yep.
A ring forged from the Rheingold would give Xena
ultimate power. And once she put it on, she
became invincible.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xena wouldn't need a ring. She's a great fighter.
She's probably the best.
BRUNNHILDA
You love her very much, don't you?
GABRIELLE
She's my best friend. I know her like I know my
own heart.
BRUNNHILDA
A friendship like that is something to be envied.
GABRIELLE
It has a price - like everything.
BRUNNHILDA
A price you love paying.
GABRIELLE
Yeah.
BRUNNHILDA
She feels the same?
GABRIELLE
I hope so.
BRUNNHILDA
She must. She must be on a very dangerous
mission; otherwise, she probably wouldn't have
left you behind.
GABRIELLE
That's what her note said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
You miss your friend, don't you?
XENA
Sure.
BEOWULF
She is very beautiful.
XENA
Yes, she is.
BEOWULF
I only saw her the one time, but she seems special.
Who knows how I'd feel if I got to know her.
XENA
Oh, you'd like her.
Of course, neither one of us will live long enough
to see her again, anyway. We'll be there soon.
XENA
Good.
BEOWULF
The people up here think of you as a demon.
XENA
So they should.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can you think of anything, yet? Any reason she
would have come north?
GABRIELLE
No. Ever since that Beowulf came...
BRUNNHILDA
Beowulf?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you Xena?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah. Yeah, he had this-this lock. It had two ravens
on it.
BRUNNHILDA
Two ravens?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(whispering) Yeah.
BRUNNHILDA
Then I know why she came north, Gabrielle. She's
on a suicide mission.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, this is it - the end of the line.
Stay strong, Gabrielle.
ACT FOUR
Twenty-three warriors - ripped apart. The lucky
ones died right her. The unlucky ones - dragged
back to the beast's lair...eaten alive.
XENA
Friends of yours?
BEOWULF
Many friends. Two brothers. I will do anything to
avenge them. I'm ready to die, myself.
Whatever happens, Beowulf...I'm with you. What
do they call this beast?
BEOWULF
Grindl.
Maybe we can take Grindl down with us. It's big
and it's slow.
BEOWULF
You know this monster pretty well.
XENA
I should. I created it.
I'm sure they went to the Eastwind bog.
GABRIELLE
How far are we?
BRUNNHILDA
Well, we should camp here tonight. That way, in
the morning-
GABRIELLE
No, no, we're not gonna camp. We're going to
travel through the night.
BRUNNHILDA
Then we'll be there by morning. I just hope we
don't run into Grindl along the way.
GABRIELLE
Who's Grindl?
BRUNNHILDA
"What's Grindl?" is a better question. All while I
was growing up, I heard stories about a monster
trapped in an abandoned mine above the bog.
GABRIELLE
Held by a raven lock?
BRUNNHILDA
Exactly. Ravens are the sign of Odin. He crafted
that lock himself. Supposedly, it was unbreakable
by human hands.
GABRIELLE
What happened?
BRUNNHILDA
The ring happened - the one that Xena made out
of the Rheingold.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Che-e-e-e-e-yah!
A-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!
That ring's gotta go back to the Rhein maidens.
BEOWULF
If one of us survives.
Hee-yah!
The ring!
Hee-yah!
Get ready for round two.
A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ah!
A-a-a-a-agh!
Uh!
This is it, isn't it?
BRUNNHILDA
You do realize this may mean your death.
GABRIELLE
Xena's path is my path.
BRUNNHILDA
I wish I had a friend like you.
You do.
It dragged her off. I don't know whether she's
dead or alive.
Xena?
No.
Xena.
STARRING
Lucy Lawless as Xena
Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
GUEST CAST
Brittney Powell as Brunnhilda
Renato Bartolomei as Beowulf
Alexander Petersons as Odin
Luanne Gordon as Grinhilda
Glen Levy as Grindl
Marama Jackson as First Rhein Maiden
Lucy Thomas as Second Rhein Maiden
Stephanie Bertram as Third Rhein Maiden
Guus de Koster as Merchant
Jonathan Blick as First Viking
Roger Morrissey as Monster Grinhilda
Written by: R.J. Stewart
Directed by: John Fawcett
Disclaimer: No flying horses were harmed during the making of this motion picture, although several villages were bombarded with aerial manure.
