Xena and Gabrielle are traveling to Athens through the wilderness that separates the Thessalians and the Mitoans, who are at war. Suddenly they hear a moan, and they approach the location of the sound cautiously. It turns out to be their Amazon friend, Ephiny. She has been injured and was hiding from the soldiers. She is also close to having a baby. Xena asks about what happened to Ephiny’s husband, Phantes. The Amazon tells her that he was killed by Mitoans while trying to protect her. Xena tells Gabrielle to stay with Ephiny while she looks for a place for the Amazon to have her baby. Not far away, a Mitoan general is giving orders to some of his men. As they go their separate ways, he spots a Thessalian soldier. When the man retreats, the general chases after him and Xena follows. She knocks him from his horse with her chakrum before he can kill the Thessalian.
Xena and Gabrielle take Ephiny and the general, Marmax, to a Thessalian healing temple. The inside is full of wounded Thessalian and Mitoan soldiers and some civilians. The priests pray to the god Asclepius to treat the injuries of the Thessalians. The head priest, Galen, becomes incensed when Xena begins to treat the wounded. Two young priests are intrigued by what the warrior is doing and want to help her. Soon the three of them and Gabrielle are busy treating the injured people in the temple, despite Galen’s protests. Two very seriously injured men are brought in at the same time. Xena needs to alternate between the patients and calls Gabrielle to assist her. When Galen sees that a Mitoan is on his altar, he is furious. But Xena doesn’t have time to deal with him or his guards and she pushes them back with a few kicks. Unfortunately one of the men has lost too much blood, and he dies. After seeing how upset Gabrielle is about the soldier’s death, Marmax questions Xena’s decision to bring the young woman into a battle zone. The warrior turns it back on him when she questions the reasons the Mitoans and Thessalians are fighting.
Gabrielle is asked by an injured man to go and find his son. He sent the boy into hiding when they were attacked and he’s afraid something might have happened to him. The bard agrees. Marmax asks Ephiny why she is there. She explains that she and her husband were on their way to Athens. When he asks what happened to him, she tells him that Phantes was attacked by Mitoan hunting dogs while soldiers stood around laughing.
Two more injured people are carried into the temple, and one of them is Gabrielle.
written by Patricia Manney
directed by T.J. Scott
music by Joseph LoDucaGuest Cast: Danielle Cormack (Ephiny), Ray Woolf (Marmax), Andrew Binns (Hippocrates), Simon Farthing (Democritus), Ron Smith (Galen), Tony Billy (Mitoan Warrior), Harriot Crampton (Hysterical Woman), Edith (Runner), Geoff Houtman (Gangrene Man), Paul McLaren (POW Leader), Adam Middleton (Blind Soldier), Charles Pierard (Thessalian Guard), Deane Vipond (Head Wound Man)
LogBook entry by Mary Terrell