Moonlight floods a plush valley surrounded with green mountains. Camping on a ledge overlooking a small town, Xena and Gabrielle drop barbecue pheasant legs into their late dinner fire. Bushes shake. A shallow female growns. "Help."

Creeping in front of Gabrielle, Xena hand-signs, "Get back." She tip-toes closer, then leaps. "YiYiYiYa!"

Kneeling by the fire, Gabrielle grabs her staff. "Who goes there?" She races after Xena.

A tattered slave woman crawls out, dragging her left leg. Tied to her ankle is a bulky weave sack.

"Woe, you're among friends. " Xena cradles the woman, lifting her out of the dirt. "What happened to you?"

"I'm Mycaia of Argos." The woman's hazy eyes stare through Gabrielle pushing through the bushes. "Beware." Mycaia clutches Xena's shoulders. "Beware, the RedPrincess born free from her watery prison under the world of shadows. I've stolen her crystal omulet which controls the deadly worbles. Beware, their tidings. Run away."

Gabrielle thrashes her staff clearing tripping weeds for an entrance to their campfire. "What happened to you?"

Mycaia weakly smiles. "I got away from her. Waste no time, destroy the omulet, Xena. Save yourselves."

Mycaia's head droops. Carefully, Xena lays her body down.

Gabrielle steps close. "Is she all right?"

"No." Chopping a tie around the woman's ankle sack, Xena stops Gabrielle bending down to offer a canteen. "She's no pulse. Pack our crap. We're riding to Argos."

"Why not destroy it, here? Hercules is waiting for you in Corinth."

"Later." Xena pulls a smoky rainbow sherical ball from the woman's satchel. "I want to know who killed this woman. Slave traders aren't common to Argos."

"Why don't we invite Hercules?"

"Iolaus can wait, Gabrielle." Xena raises the sphere by the fire. "Argos can't."

Magically, a blue flame shoots through the night. Rain pours on the grounds north of Xena and Gabrielle. Then, a crazy woman's laughter echoes from the clouds. Xena cups the sphere in her palm. The rain instantly stops.

Xena stares at the sphere. "The gods are at hand."

Mycaia's body vanishes in the sand.

Gabrielle tags closer to Xena. "Which one?"

"The one we find in Argos. Hurry it up!"

"Don't I always!"

Xena stares at Gabrielle.

"I'm going, I'm going."

Riding south under a mild sun, Xena and Gabrielle slow Argo. Two dark haired Amazon warriors dressed in red fox-fur outfits march out from the woods.

"Hold, Xena. I am Dove, Keeper of Trade." Dove twirls a sleek jeweled dagger fumbling across her fingers and landing by Argo's hoof. "Apollo's priestess lost an ottoman. Will you help us track the thief?"

The second stranger looking away from Xena.

Xena glances into the woods then the strangers "What was stolen?"

"A crystal piece." Dove casually fetches her dagger stumbling over her feet.

Gabrielle offers a hand. "Careful."

Accepting Gabrielle's hand, Dove slits a cut in Xena's saddle bag with a special razor hidden within her sleeve. "Poseidon's ottoman. It was a gift given Apollo for aiding for his daughter, Loquois."

Gabrielle whispers to Xena, "I've never heard of Loquois."

Xena draws her sword.

Dove backs away, showing empty-palms. "All I did was ask a question. We came in peace, Xena."

"And you can still leave that way. Now, go."

Dove nods to LeeAnn, her friend. "Judge Iapetus awaits our word in Corinth." She cautiously smiles to Xena. "Consider our offer to find Poseidon's ottoman. Many warriors are seeking the 500 dinar reward."

Xena glares at Dove. "I'm not for hire. Move along."

"By your command, Warrior Princess."

Strolling up the road, Dove peeks back. Xena kicks Argo into a brisk gallop toward Argos. Dove chuckles. "She's been most helpful."

Wiping a drenched brow, LeeAnn limps with a walking-staff. "How much did you get?"

Dove tosses the rainbow sphere to LeeAnn, admiring a jingling pouch of coins. "Straight from Xena. Not bad for the Princess of thieves."

"Until, she discovers them missing."

"Good luck, Xena." Dove yanks off her fox-fur and horse-tail wig. "She won't be looking for a red-headed mother."

LeeAnn sheds her leather costume for a lacey country frock. "Let's hope not. Mercy isn't Xena. What's this bauble?"

Dove takes the sphere, shoving it up her sleeve. "My sister's little one has a birthday coming."

Anxiously, LeeAnn looks back to an empty road. "Let's hope we can say the same."

Gabrielle follows Xena marching past busy villagers chasing their children. Entering Sal's market and pizzeria, Xena spots three peasants waiting on line. Each carry a slender coin purses in hand. A stocky clerk with a shifting eyes conducts fast trades.

Xena walks through a partial tunnel of piled flour sacks. Several bushels of Rome apples catch Gabrielle's hungry eye. Pleasing her friend, Xena tosses an apple high, splitting it in half with her chakrum. As Gabrielle catches the pieces, three nervous peasants quickly rest their armloads and leave.

Gabrielle whispers, "Do you know this guy?" Her attentions divert to a cute crystal doll. "Oo."

Xena smacks her hand. "Get back to the stables. Argo needs grain and new shods." She playfully tosses a black leather coin purse in her palm, opens it's draw string, then slowly drops sand with five flat shale stones into Gabrielle's hand. "Wait, this isn't my purse."

The stocky clerk approaches with a long sword drawn. "How do you intend to pay for your meal and your horse staying in my stables, Warrior?"

Gabrielle glances to the door. Two local law officials walk in the door with crossbows, cocked and aimed. She nudges Xena's shoulder. "Company."

Xena saunters forward, stopping as the merchant lowers his sword to her heart. "In trade."

"With your skills? I need a barmaid and a cook."

Ignoring the door, Xena pushes Gabrielle to the merchant. "We've been robbed, shopkeeper. Until I've recovered my losses, will you accept the help of my friend, today?"

The clerk stares at the sand falling from Gabrielle's palm. "I see you're met our Princess of thieves. You're bargain pleases me, Warrior. " He points Gabrielle toward the back room. "A days labor, my dear. My wife is ill."

Gabrielle turns to Xena. "A day, remember that?"

"Yep." Xena walks past the clerk. "If I'm late, you find Hercules. Battle on, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle rushes to the room. "Why me?"

Five hours into night, Gabrielle hangs a lantarn on a pitching post. She massages wash-water wrinkled palms. "If I'm late, she says. How am I to get to Hercules?"

Taking the lantern, she walks to the stables. She hangs the lantern on a hook then grabs a manure shovel. Clouds clear, a full moon blazes the night. In the distance, a rider races in. Gabrielle goes inside. The rider passes the stable doors.

"It figures."

Quickly, Gabrielle shovels out a stall, then plods to the merchant's store. Two blazing torch posts light the entrance. When she steps closer, Gabrielle shivers. The welcome mat is muddied with large foot prints. Piles of white linen are drenched with handprints of blood.

"Xena?" Gabrielle races into the empty store: pottery smashed, display tables overturned, the once beautiful crystal doll now ground shards in an odd black puddle. "Xena!" She listens. "Shop Keeper, I've returned?"

Leaning down, Gabrielle follows a stacatto groove trail leading into the backroom. A swift figure carefully tip-toes behind her. Gabrielle rolls sideways, grabbing a broomstick for a staff. "Halt!"

A cloaked figure quickly knocks the broom from Gabrielle's hand. In a firm alto voice she says: "Cease, I am Perager, barrier of poor tiding to you, Bard Gabrielle."

Snatching her broom-weapon, Gabrielle faces the odd figure vanishing. "Show yourself!"

Perager raps the posts at the entrance way. "I have news of Xena. Do you deny me, again?"

"No." Gabrielle stands firm. "Where is she?"

"In the living tombs of the RedPrincess."

"The what?" Gabrielle shifts from left foot to right, ready for anything. "Who is this RedPrincess?"

"A competitor." Raises a misty hand, Perager shoots sparks into Gabrielle's eyes. "This will protect you for your journey, little one."

Gabrielle falls to the ground. Sitting up, Gabrielle looks around, smiling. "I can see everything. This is great! What must I do?"

"Find Poseidon's amulet. It's better owner is me. Mycaia stole the weapon from RedPrincess, hoping to lure Xena into destroying it."

"Who is Mycaia?"

"The one who bids for Ares's affections believing Xena to be her only competition."

"Ares?" Gabrielle sarcasticaly grins. "Xena wants nothing to do with him.

"It matters not." Perager forms a miniature cloud whirling round and around before her. "This is the amulet, you accepted from Mycaia."

Gabrielle steps closer. "A thief took it on the road."

Perager fans the cloud away. "Find the amulet and return it to me. It's dangers are beyond your understanding?"

Gabrielle sighs. "Whoopie do! it makes rain."

"It also controls the worble beasts, watery beings whose powers have captured your Xena and many others daring to confront the RedPrincess."

"Who's the RedPrincess? How am I suppose to get it back?"

Perager floats outside. "Seek the eyes of your thief living in Corinth. She changes to many disguises, a benefit you might need."

"Wait, where are you going?

"You will know her with the powers I have given you. Keep to the dry paths, Gabrielle. The RedPrincess rules greatest within Poseidon's favored dwellings." Perager vanishes.

"I'm never too proud to accept help!" Gabrielle looks outside. "It's always us, sidekicks!"

Riding Argo back to Corinth, Gabrielle sees a mystical glowing line directing a passage through a grassy knoll. "It must be this way, girl."

Argo gallops along the trail. Reaching a small shallow pond, Argo stops.

"You're right. We go around it, then."

The horse reluctantly obeys.

Coming to a cave, Gabrielle climbs off Argo. She creeps to the left, following a two fork trail. Peeking inside a cave, Gabrielle sees a lone brunette curled asleep by the fire. Suddenly, a pointy blade pinches Gabrielle's back. She leaps forward, swinging her staff.

A playful dark hair woman in black fires her empty finger. "LeeAnn, we have company."

"Thundercloud, let me sleep." LeeAnn, by the fire, unfurls. Seeing Gabrielle, she leaps up with a breast sword. "How did you find me?"

Gabrielle watches both women. "Where's the thief?" She races in between, keeping her staff raised. "I need the sphere she stole from us?"

Yawning, LeeAnn shrugs. "I've stolen nothing."

"You and Dove took a dangerous amulet from Xena. Where is it?"

Playful ThunderCloud tosses a lasso over LeeAnn. "Thundercloud's friends don't lie."

"TC?" LeeAnn pulls off the larriet. "I didn't. Dove stole. I just watched."

"Xena's been good to us." Thundercloud steps outside. "Set it right!" She pets Argo.

Gabrielle pokes her staff into the ground. "LeeAnn, I must find Dove. My friend's life is in jeopardy?"

Bending over, LeeAnn grabs a bladder water-canteen. "Dove's employer in Corinth."

"And that would be?"

She pops the top, sipping, gurgling, then spitting. "Judge Iapetus. She's a scribe in his court." She passes the canteen to Gabrielle nodding no. "What happened to your friend, Xena?" She slaps on the top.

Gabrielle turns her head, following another light trail heading outside. "I don't know. Pray the gods keep her safe."

LeeAnn takes Gabrielle's arm. "Don't leave to the gods, what you can find in new friends. TC, your special talents are requested."

Thundercloud whistles for their horses. "Shed no tear when TC's near!"

Gabrielle whispers to LeeAnn. "I know a clutsy warrior who could be her brother."

LeeAnn slips her sword in a side sheath. "There's only one who has best the illusions of Thundercloud and he resides with Hades."

"Sisyphus." Gabrielle palms Xena's crossbow dangling off Argo's saddle. "I hope for my friend's sake, we're enough."

"I hope for my friend's sake, Xena's a sense of humor!"

Gabrielle mounts up. "Hope is a good thing."

Waking in a mossy greenish glowing dungeon, Xena hurries to her feet. Water droplets weep from limestone stalagmites layered in fresh green seaweed. Ahead, a floating table holds a golden satchel of bread. She steps close, opening a bladder flask of berry wine.

"Hello?" Xena puts the flask down.

Against the cave wall behind her, a mild whirling fog transforms into a vertical maroon pond. Drawing her broad sword, Xena turns. The odd vertical pond ripples, a glamorous red-haired queen adjusts her crown of pearls and emeralds.

"Who are you?" Xena bodly steps closer.

RedPrincess shoots flame from her fingers, inches before Xena. "Your ruler, Warrior. Where is my amulet?"

"Obviously, not on me." Xena sheathes her sword.

RedPrincess splits a stalagmite with her next finger strike. "You know where to find it!"

Xena casually rips a piece of bread. "I've a pretty fair notion. Hire my services."

"Is it payment you want or deserve?" RedPrincess breaks a palm-size black pea-pod, then tosses it into the cave. She grins watching it bounce quickly multiplying into humming watery creatures. "Have you met my worbles?"

Spitting out stale bread, Xena steps back. "Killing me won't help you retrieve your property."

"Why did you steal it?"

"Mycaia gave it to me before she died."

"Mycaia!" RedPrincess claps her hands.

The worbles advance, bouncing and multipling like a vertically disjointed tidal wave.

RedPrincess steps into the cave. "Retrieve my property and live, Xena. But beware of Ares' mistress. I'm not so foolish as to murder you on Mycaia's behalf."

Xena runs into a curve. As she races deeper, she sees a nitch to nowhere. The worble humming echoes behind her. She ducks into a fetal ball. The rushing watery creatures absorbed Xena then pass through the stony prison. Struggling to hold her breath, Xena's swims to a light collecting air bubbles above her. She emerges within a childsize fountain with Poseidon's statue in the center.

"Corinth." Xena splashes steps to sandy ground. She turns around.

A maroon hole seals her exit below the fountain.

"I'm not so foolish as to trust in you, either, RedPrincess." Xena jogs into town.

On the other side of town, merchants compete for every dinar. Leaving the horses in a stable, Gabrielle, LeeAnn, and ThunderCloud waltz side by side, ignoring traders calling out bargain prices. A familiar boot dagger spikes the ground ahead of Gabrielle.

"YiYiYiYa!" Xena grabs LeeAnn with one hand while lassoing Thundercloud swiftly struggling free.

TC falls to Xena's ankles, securing her own pair of shackles. "Free my cousin, Warrior. She means no harm."

Xena grins. "Two against one?"

Gabrielle steps back. "Xena, please!"

With a moment to wink, Xena wraps the ankle chain around Thundercloud's throat, still holding onto LeeAnn.

Thundercloud quickly releases hidden locks on the ankle chains. "Nice one, Warrior." She flips to her feet, ducking a right fist from Xena. Pity, she didn't out-dance Xena's fast kick to her knees.

"Take her." Xena shoves LeeAnn to Gabrielle. Raising ThunderCloud by her ear, Xena holds the chakrum against TC's chin. "Want to play some more?"

"Not right now."

Gabrielle steadies LeeAnn. "Xena, they're helping me to find that sphere we lost. I have a goddess who told me you were imprisoned."

Xena releases ThunderCloud. Glaring, she marches to LeeAnn. "You know who has the sphere."

LeeAnn points to a magnificant home. "Dove thought it was a toy and gave it to Judge Iapetus's daughter."

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