Directed by John T Kretchmer
Written by Chris Manheim
Gabrielle joins forces with the warrior Meleager (Tim Thomerson) to save her home village from the ruthless brigand Damon.
Tropes:
- The Alcoholic: Meleager spends a good bit of time falling down drunk.
- The Blade Always Lands Pointy End In: When Meleager disarms the warlord Damon, he sends him onto the ground and right where the sword lands at.
- A Day in the Limelight: Gabrielle is the main character in this episode, with Xena only appearing in bookending secenes.
- Favors for the Sexy: Gabrielle tries to exploit this to get a ride into town, but her efforts fail.
- Hitchhiker's Leg: One of the ways Gabrielle tries to get a ride into town. She's ignored, much to her annoyance.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Gabrielle suffers self-doubt after freezing during a fight and worries it'll happen again. Later, Meleager says he struggles with that fear all the time.
- Passive-Aggressive Kombat: Lila gets in a couple digs at Gabrielle."Well, if Xena's so perfect, I'm surprised that you can stand to be around simple people like us. You know, your family."
- Pillow Pregnancy: Gabrielle finally manages to get someone to take her to Poteidaia... buy pretending she's pregnant. Once the passerby leaves, she takes out the rags and goes on her merry way.
- The Resenter: Lila admits Gabrielle leaving and never coming back to visit was harder than she expected. They work it out in the end.
- Right Through the Wall: Gabrielle and Meleager pretend to be doing this while imprisoned to distract the guards enough to give the later an opening.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Meleager is remembered as a great hero, which Gabrielle can't believe since he's always drinking and out of it. He explains the pressure of the lifestyle got to him, and he turned to drinking to calm his nerves."Blood, killing, the gore. It would turn your stomach to hear about it. Never mind having to live day after day never knowing when the next attack will come. About the sieges? Who's your enemy? Who's your friend? What you're going to have to deal with? How? And when you might freeze?"
- Show Some Leg: Gabrielle, Lila and some of the female villagers offer themselves to the invading warlords. This leads them right into a moat trap.
- Shrouded in Myth: The Battle of Liguria. Meleager is said to have singlehandedly killed anywhere from 100 to 500 men.
- Stranger in a Familiar Land: Gabrielle gets this treatment from the villagers. Lila eventually calls them on it.
- Trap Master: Gabrielle uses knowledge she learned from Xena to teach the villagers how to make traps throughout the town. They are effective at holding back the warlords for a time.
