The tyrant Xerxes is angry. A band of renegades keep attacking his army as they try to collect taxes. He demands that the villagers hand over the leader, the Black Wolf. Many people step forward claiming to be the Black Wolf and he has them all thrown in a dungeon. Xena arrives and learns that a friend of hers, Flora, was one of the people imprisoned. She tells Flora’s mother that she will help her daughter to escape. The warrior princess goes to Xerxes and offers to help him find the leader of the Black Wolf. All he needs to do is stage her arrest in front of sympathizers. Once inside his dungeon she will find out who the leader is and turn that person over to him. Once inside the prison, many of the renegades are wary of Xena. But Flora reassures them that Xena is her friend and will be their ally. Xena takes the younger woman aside and tells her she will help her escape. Flora won’t go without the others.
Gabrielle arrives in the village. She learns from the blacksmith about Xena being in the dungeon. She immediately tries to find a way to join her friend. While working out her plan, Gabrielle accidentally bumps into Salmoneous who is there selling Black Wolf merchandise. But when the bard executes her plan, the guards arrest Salmoneous instead of her. The head of Xerxes’ guard, Koulos, decides to threaten the prisoners in order to learn who the Black Wolf is. He puts Xena into a pit that fills with water. But the warrior easily escapes. When Salmoneous is thrown into the dungeon, she decides on a plan that will free all of the prisoners. Taking all the belts they can find, they hang them in the grating along the ceiling, and hide. When the guards realize the cell is empty, the rush in. The prisoners jump from their hiding places and make their escape. They make it out to the square and are confronted by Koulos and the rest of the guard. Seems Kouslos had someone on the inside who told him of the escape plan. The renegades are now very suspicious of Xena, especially Flora’s boyfriend, Diomedes. He fights with Xena. The warrior ends the fight saying she wasn’t the traitor. The next morning, Gabrielle finally manages to get arrested by dumping a bowl of gruel on one of the guards. Xena is upset to see her there, but she’s also surprised that Gabrielle managed to sneak her chakrum and whip into the dungeon. At Xena’s direction, Gabrielle and Salmoneous set a trap for Koulos’ spy. When he tries to deliver a message to the guards, Xena catches him. The guards place a staff in the ground inside the prison, saying that the renegades had until the sun reached the staff to hand over the Black Wolf.
written by Allan Jay Glueckman
directed by Mario DiLeo
music by Joseph LoDuca
Guest Cast: Robert Trebor (Salmoneous), Nigel Harbrow (Koulos), Ian Hughes (Diomedes), Ross Duncan (Parnassus), Maggie Tarver (Hermia), Emma Turner (Flora), Kevin J. Wilson (Xerxes), Jonathan Bell-Booth (Chief Guard), John Dybvig (Brigand), Colin Francis (The Grump), Tim Hosking (Blacksmith), Adam Middleton (Black Wolf Sympathizer), John Pemberton (Arresting Guard), Jimmy Rawdon (Father)
LogBook entry by Mary Terrell