The History of
Xena: Warrior Princess
Episode Name: The Gauntlet
Not long after, Xena is attacking villages and gradulally leading her army through a province in a direction that leads to the village of Parthis where the mother of Ilorin, a cousin of Hercules, lives. Ilorin goes to Corinth to ask Hercules for help, and the two of them set out for Parthis.
Salmoneus is travelling through the province when Xena's army attacks another village. He dresses as a woman but is captured. Xena keeps him alive because he amuses her, both fearing and desiring her at the same time. Salmoneus sees that Xena is not as cold and brutal as she pretends to be and he tries to win a reprieve by showing he can be useful. He even goes so far as to propose a theme song ("Xee-na! She's coming to your town! She'll burn your village down!").
Xena is methodically destroying village after village as she moves toward Parthis, and she argues with her lieutenant, Darphus, over how to treat the women, children, and unarmed men. Darphus wants to kill everyone who opposes them and Xena refuses. But when Xena goes off to the north to scout some other villages, Darphus leads an attack on a town where he orders everyone killed.
Xena finds out what Darphus has done when she returns from her scouting trip. As she observes the burning ruins of the town, she discovers a baby is still alive, laying in the ashes. Xena rescues the baby and Darphus then uses this as an excuse to convince the army to mutiny against her. Xena has to face "The Gauntlet", where she will be beaten to a pulp by her former soldiers, trying to kill her. Xena survives though and she is thrown out of the army.
Hercules meets the father of the baby, who was sent to get help by his people. Salmoneus escapes from Darphus and finds Hercules. But When he tries to tell Hercules that Xena is no longer leading her army Hercules doesn't believe him. The situation turns ugly when Xena also shows up and tries to kill Hercules so she can get back her army. Salmoneus has to work quickly, and he persuades them that Darphus is the real enemy.
They go on to Parthis skirmishing with Darphus and his men before they can slip into the town. There Hercules, Xena, and the baby's father lead the townspeople in defending themselves against Darphus' attack. In a final confrontation Xena kills Darphus. At some point she returns to where she has been keeping the baby and Salmoneus learns by now who its father is. He and Hercules persaude Xena to return the child to its father. Xena, Hercules, and Salmoneus then leave together.
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