The episode begins in the dark of night and you see Xena sitting on a log with a different outfit on. She is wearing a helmet with wings on each side and seriously looks like someone devoted to Hermes! She is thinking as she’s looking at a gold ring in her hand. You see the gold being melted down and poured, obviously showing how the ring was created. Lurking in the dark of the night and moving closer to her is one nasty looking monster. It looks like a close relative of Spike from ‘A Family Affair’. Xena slips on the ring and stands up saying she’s been waiting for the monster. She battles the monster and lures it towards a cage and tells the monster that as long as she wears the ring nothing can happen to her. As she’s struggling to keep the monster in the cage and chain the doors, it takes the ring off of her finger. She shouts that the chains will hold the monster there for all of eternity and it will never be able to use the full power of the ring and looks over her shoulder as a horse appears. She mounts the horse and flies off on it, laughing at the monster. The horse has no wings, but can fly and I would guess it’s a distant cousin of Pegasus’. J

The scene changes to thirty-five years later as Xena and Gabrielle are sitting in a crowded tavern eating. Some burly, barbarian looking guy enters the place and looks around, noting the two hot babes chowing on some ribs. I think that’s what Xena was eating…some baby back ribs. Xena is looking at Gabrielle who says, "What?" with a chuckle and Xena asks, "You gonna finish that?" motioning towards Gabrielle’s plate. Gabrielle laughs and answers, "All of it," nodding her head with an adorable smile. Xena replies, "I thought the portions here were kind of small," as the burly, barbarian looking guy stares at the two of them after sidling up to the bar. Gabrielle’s demeanor changes to very serious and she motions with her fork adamantly replying, "You’re not getting mine." You definitely don’t mess with the battling bard’s meal, no matter who you are, even if you are Xena! Xena tells Gabby, "Come on Gabrielle you’re playing with your food." Gabrielle answers, "No I’m relishing it," as she raises a fork full of food and eats it, much to Xena’s dismay. She wants Gabby’s food. I bet if she was really sweet Gabby would give her some dessert…her…later that night. Oh, shame on me! I hate it when my fingers type such things. Okay, back to the episode! Xena’s perturbed and looks over her shoulder at the burly, barbarian looking dude and asks, "You got a problem?" in a very agitated tone as Gabrielle continues to savor her morsels. That fork was not going anywhere else but from her plate to her mouth. She doesn’t stop eating for anyone! He looks at her without a word being said and she turns back to her plate saying, "I don’t appreciate people staring at me while I’m eating." He removes his helmet and approaches their table asking, "Are you Xena?" She says, "Yeah, who wants to know?" She’s not very pleased by his intrusion and for Gabrielle denying her some of her food.

He answers that he’s Beowulf and Xena wants to know if he has business with her. He drops part of the chain lock on the table that she had on the cage for the ugly monster. Xena looks at it and her demeanor changes to nervousness telling Gabrielle that she has to talk to the man. She quickly gets up and leaves the table, stopping across the room to talk with him. Gabrielle picks up the lock he threw on the table and examines it. Its design has two ravens facing one another. We can’t hear what they are discussing and Gabrielle can’t either as she looks over at them. Xena’s not pleased by their conversation and says, "Alright," angrily shaking her head and walks back to the table. Gabrielle asks her what the bird plate is all about and Xena evasively says, "Nothing," and continues to eat. She sees the worried look on Xena’s face and offers, "Do you want my food?" She doesn’t believe Xena’s answer of nothing by the way. Xena is not looking well and says, "No I’ve lost my appetite," as the scene changes to the outside of a house. It looks exactly like Gabby’s parents house from ‘A Family Affair!’

You hear Gabrielle reply, "Still keeping secrets from me," as Gabrielle and Xena appear. Gabrielle is walking around the room and Xena is sitting as she continues, "After all these years," perturbed, and hurt as she climbs into bed. Xena attempts to explain saying, "Look, it’s something I did a long time before I met you," as she lies back on the bed. Sorry, not the same one Gabby is sleeping in. After all, Xena has to sleep on the couch for holding secrets back from Gabby!  Just kidding…my embellishment. Xena tells Gabrielle, "I just don’t feel like talking about it," as she looks at Gabrielle who is leaning propped up on one elbow looking at her. She says, "Alright," in a hurt and left out tone as she moves to lie down, but stops when Xena says, "I’m not trying to shut you out. You know our friendship is the most important thing in my life, but in this case…" Gabrielle interrupts her saying, "Xena you don’t have to tell me. Part of being a friend is letting people keep secrets, I respect that," as Xena turns looking up at the ceiling and says, "Okay," in an appreciative tone.

Gabrielle wakes up late, as usual and looks around for her baby doll that is not there. She quickly gets out of bed when she sees a scroll on Xena’s bed. She picks it up and sits down to read it. Xena narrates the note, "Gabrielle I’ve gone to take care of some unfinished business, this mission is so dangerous I’m afraid I might won’t survive and I can’t ask you to die with me once again. Whatever happens know that my love for you is endless, Xena." It’s so incredibly sweet and heartfelt and it’s also signed with a big X and with a kiss from her beloved. Oh, how adorable…loved it! Gabrielle is worried obviously and the scene changes to Gabrielle riding through the forest on a white horse narrating, "I know Xena wouldn’t have done this," as the scene changes to her sitting on the ground writing in a scroll continuing, "If she didn’t feel like this was something she had to do…by herself." We see Gabrielle back on her horse riding and continues to narrate, "I debated whether to respect her wish, but I can’t her path is my path," as she sees a couple out for a stroll and stops before the scene changes to sundown.

Gabrielle is sitting by the campfire now and she’s writing in her scroll narrating, "I’ve been following her now for weeks, her trail is taking me north…due north, farther north than I’ve ever been." She cuddles into her fur blanket reflecting and stares at the bright, full moon up above, longing for her beloved Xena. What do you want? I’m a bard, I can’t help but embellish a little! Gabby rides into a town with snow cover on the ground and checks things out. She sees a man with a tapestry mounted on a tripod and asks him if his creation has a story behind it. He explains that the women on the flying horses are called Valkyrie, Odens elite guards. Gabrielle replies intrigued, "Oden? King of the Norsegods," and moves for a closer look at the tapestry. She asks if the Valkyries are gods and he informs her they are mortals and Oden teaches his favorite Valkyries the rhunes, which Gabrielle is confused about. A blonde who is trying to conspicuously hide the fact that she’s checking Gabby out looks over as he continues to explain that they are all magical, old Norse writings that contain chanting and gives great power to the one who knows them.

Gabrielle notices one of the Valkyrie is different looking than the others and it looks a lot like Xena…ooh, it is Xena as the blonde who approaches tells us. Gabrielle asks, "Do you know of this Valkyrie, Xena," as she moves closer to the striking blonde who answers, "Studying her has been the passion of my life." Gabrielle asks, "Have you seen her recently?" and she answers, "Look, Xena’s reign of terror ended over thirty-five years ago," as she walks away from Gabrielle adding, "She’s long since disappeared." Gabrielle follows her and says, "My name is Gabrielle and I’ve come a long way to find out more about this Xena. Tell me what you know," as the blonde stops to explain that she came from a distant land to the east of which she called Chin. You see the two of them talking in the distance and in the foreground, Xena from the past is on a horse riding by. She adds, "We call it the land that sent us a demon," as we see Xena riding through the forest.

Xena comes across a guy hanging on a tree who has been crucified, and asks what he’s doing up there. He explains that he is Oden, king of the Norse gods. She tells him she doesn’t have time to waste chatting with a god who doesn’t know what to do with his immortality in a very cocky way. It seems he’s at conflict for not being able to bring peace to the people. He asks whom she is and she tells him who she is and that he can’t escape the struggle that he’s got to embrace it. The striking blonde explains to Gabrielle that Xena brought Oden out of his despair by sharing her lust for life and in turn, he made her Valkyrie. She explained that Xena excelled in her new role and that it was just a matter of time before she came in conflict with the leader of the Valkyrie, Oden’s lover Grinhilda. You see Xena and the other Valkyry riding their flying horses towards a castle in the sky.

The scene changes to Xena admonishing a group of warriors for wanting to surrender, much to Grinhilda’s dismay. I guess they just happened to be flying by and thought they would add their two dinars. Xena incites them to fight in Oden’s name and watches as they attempt to defeat the enemy. They all end up being slain and Griny isn’t very pleased. She confronts Xena who is chilling out with Oden, back at the castle. Griny is pissed when Oden takes Xena’s side and storms out of the castle, no longer wanting to be apart of his reign with Xena. He tells Xena that he loved her and she tells him he can live without love. He’s fidgeting in his seat and not pleased by it as Xena looks at him smirking.

The scene changes to Gabrielle talking to the blonde and says, "Poor Xena," of which the blonde interrupts, "Poor Xena? You haven’t been listening very well have you?"  Gabrielle answers, "Xena thought that she could live without love, I know that she can’t. She’s my friend." The blonde is shocked to hear that admission and looks away from Gabrielle. Gabby asks, "Is there anything else you can tell me to help her find her?" She tells her to camp there for the night and that she will come to visit her later with something that might help her. Gabrielle sits writing in her scroll saying, "I don’t know the details of Xena’s mission. I’m beginning to understand her goal. She wants to correct some great wrong she did in the past. My dear friends curse is to spend the rest of her life seeking a redemption she’ll never allow herself." She hears a tree branch snap and asks, "Brunnhilda is that you?" as she’s looking about and is attacked by Brunnhilda the striking blonde from before. I guess the woman told her what her name was off screen, because we certainly didn’t find out until Gabby calls out to her. She knocks Gabrielle to the ground and tells her she’s pretty good if she was able to cut her leg in the fight with her own sword. She said she can’t tell which one is better and the only way to find out would be for one of them to die and she doesn’t want that. She reaches out to help Gabrielle up who slaps her hand away. She’s pissed that she attacked her and asks her why.

Bruny tells her she did it to prove that she’s worthy to fight right along side Xena and holds her hand out again to help Gabby up. Gabrielle is skeptical, but takes the hand offered to her and gets up. They are sitting on a log talking and Bruny is happy to hear that Xena is alive, as she will accomplish a lifelong dream. She’ll be able to meet the great Xena. She asks Gabrielle to allow her to help her find her. Gabrielle tells her to tell her as much as she can about the Valkyrie and see if that helps. Oden is teaching Xena how to create a fire in a flower vase with the strike of her hand, but Xena isn’t satisfied with that trick. He tells her to keep practicing, but Xena doesn’t have time for that. She wants to have more than the other Valkyrie and asks him to tell her about the Rheingold. He’s reluctant to talk to her and she starts to walk away. He asks her where she’s going and tells him she can’t give her love to someone who doesn’t trust her. He’s shocked and tells her that he thought that she could live without love and she tells him that she lied. She begins to cry and he feels bad. Sounds like a setup to me. He hugs her saying he had no idea she felt that way and tells her the Rheingold is very dangerous to someone who hasn’t forsaken their love. Xena looks up at him, of which he can’t see and yep, it’s a set up. She’s playing on his sympathy.

Griny confronts Oden about the Rhine maidens and realizes that he told her. She’s not pleased at all and tells him that she acted like she was in love with him to get him to tell her. He tells her there was no way she could have known that the power of the Rheingold is only available to someone who has forsaken love. Griny tauntingly tells him everyone knows about the power of the Rheingold, only they don’t know how to find it and now Xena knows how to find it. She confidently tells him that she can stop her if he gives her back the command of the Valkyrie and he agrees to do so. Bruny explains that Xena headed towards the Rhine River in hopes that the Rhine maidens could lead her to it. We see Xena riding along the River in the sky and Bruny explains that the rest of the Valkyrie wasn’t far behind. Gabrielle interjects, "They couldn’t stop her though could they?" They attack Xena and she kills one of their horses and kicks the chick to her death, off her horse when she fell there after her horse was wounded. Xena sends two more to their deaths as she continues to ride towards her goal and is confronted by Griny. They battle mightily and Griny knocks them both off of the horses to the ground. Xena reaches for her sword and approaches Griny who is struggling to stand. Xena raises her sword to kill her, but doesn’t, she knocks her back to the ground. Her horse comes flying up and waits for her. Xena arrogantly strides towards her horse and mounts it, riding away.

Bruny explains that the only thing that stood in Xena’s way was the Rhine maidens and the ultimate power she wanted. Xena is swimming in the river with the Rhine maidens and splashes one of them who says to her sister sitting on a rock, "Come join us, our new friend is delightful. I think I love her," with a bashful grin on her face. Her redheaded sister tells her, "You fall in love to easily sister," as another one swims up to her saying, "I think I love her too." She says, "Be quiet, she’s my friend," giddily grinning and dives under the water. Xena has a huge smirk on her face as she watches her and jumps as the girl passes by her. She’s been goosed! Xena plays around with the smitten maiden and whispers something into her ear. The girl is shocked that she would ask such a thing and tells her it’s forbidden. Xena asks, "How am I to be a Rhine maiden if I don’t see it?" The girl is overjoyed and asks, "You want to be a Rhine maiden?" and Xena answers, "Sure, then I can play with you all day," with a huge smile on her face. The chick is obviously smitten with Xena and shows her the way. What a con artist that Xena is!

They swim underwater to a cave and Xena finds the Rheingold. The girl tells her not to touch it and Xena tells her that she must. She warns that it will bring about her destruction and Xena explains only if she hasn’t forsaken love. Xena is definitely pleased with the gold in her hands and not pleased with the smitten Rhine maiden. She asks Xena, "Have you?" and gets an elbow to the face, knocking her on her petite butt. She has a bloody nose and mouth from Xena’s elbow. She is crying as Xena swims out of the cave with her gold. We next see Xena melting the gold down, into a ring. Bruny explained that, "A ring forged from the Rheingold would give her ultimate power and once she put it on she became invincible." Gabrielle is in disbelief and answers, "Xena wouldn’t need a ring, she’s a great fighter. Probably the best." Bruny says, "You love her very much don’t you?" Gabrielle smiles saying, "She’s my best friend. I know her like I know my own heart." Bruny looks like she’s jealous and replies, "A friendship like that is something to be envied." Gabrielle smiles and says, "It has a price, like everything," as Bruny quickly points out, "A price you love paying." She’s definitely jealous and envious. Gabrielle looks up at her and says, "Yeah," as Bruny skeptically asks, "She feels the same?" Gabrielle is looking down at the ground and looks at Bruny with a smile, "I hope so." Bruny smiles, "She must. She must be on a very dangerous mission or she wouldn’t have left you behind." Gabrielle looks a bit upset and replies, "That’s what her note said," looking back at Bruny. It seems to me like Gabrielle is feeling left out and like she has to prove to Bruny that she’s important to Xena.

Xena and Beowulf are walking along a snow-covered trail as he asks, "You miss your friend don’t you?" Xena answers, "Sure," as Beowulf adds, "She’s very beautiful." Xena says, "Yes, she is," as he replies, "I only saw her the one time, but she seems special. Who knows how I’d feel once I got to know her." Xena smiles and says, "Oh, you’d like her." He chuckles and says, "Of course, neither one of us will live long enough to see her again anyway. We’ll be there soon." Her steely gaze has replaced her smile and she answers, "Good," as they continue to walk towards whatever they are looking for, no doubt, it’s the monster!  He tells her, "The people up here think of you as a demon," and Xena replies, "So they should." Bruny asks if Gabrielle can figure out why Xena came north and Gabby says, "No, but ever since that Beowulf came." Bruny is worried now and says, "Beowulf?" Gabby says, "Yeah," as we see flashbacks of Beowulf entering he tavern. She explains, "He had a lock with two ravens on it," as she moves closer to Bruny who’s ready to flip out and asks, "Two ravens on it?" very worriedly. We see the flashback scenes to the lock keeping the monster in his cage and it changes back to Bruny and Gabby. Bruny tells her, "Then I know why she came north Gabrielle, she’s on a suicide mission." Gabby is very nervous and worried.

Beowulf and Xena enter the town to see a bunch of bodies lying around. Beowulf tells her, "This is it, the end of the line," and walks ahead of her. She turns back to the road she was just on with a worried look on her face and says, "Stay strong Gabrielle," before following Beowulf. It turns to night and Xena and Beowulf are chilling out in some house. She’s pacing and he’s cleaning his sword. He explains, "Twenty-three warriors were ripped apart. The lucky one’s died here and the unlucky one’s were taken back to the beast’s liar…eaten to death. Xena sits on the table asking, "Friends of yours?" He answers, "Many of them and two brothers. I would do anything to avenge them. I’m ready to die myself." Xena stands up and approaches him saying, "Whatever happens Beowulf, I’m with you." He nods in agreement looking over his shoulder and turns back to his task of sharpening his sword. She asks, "What do they call this beast?" He answers, "Grendl," as we hear the beast growl. It sounds like the beast is right outside and Beowulf draws his sword and Xena angrily replies, "Maybe we can take Grendl down with us. It’s big and it’s slow," as they both look around the room and Beowulf counters, "You know this monster pretty well." Xena walks ahead of him looking into the distance and says, "I should…I created it," before walking to the door. She leans against it and draws her sword.

Bruny and Gabby are walking in the dark, cold night and Bruny tells her they should camp there. Gabby is insistent that they continue on. She has to find her darling don’t ya know! Bruny tells Gabrielle she hopes that they don’t run into Grendl along the way. Gabby asks who Grindl is and Bruny explains that it is a beast. She explains that it’s been captured and held in an old mine shaft for years. She also explains that the lock, the one with the Ravens, was crafted by Oden and supposedly unable to be broken by human hands. Gabrielle asks, "What happened?" and Bruny tells her, "The ring happened. The one that Xena made out of the Rheingold," as the scene changes back to Beowulf and Xena. They are sneaking around the house looking for the monster and this gnarly looking thing knocks Beowulf back. It looks like a cross between Spike and something out of ‘Alien’. Xena stabs it in the back and flips over it, landing next to Beowulf. She sees the ring on his hand and tells Beowulf the ring has to go back to the Rhine maidens and he answers, "If one of us survives.  I have no idea as to why Xena didn’t just chop off his hand with her sword that contained the ring. It would have seemed like a much easier solution to defeating the ugly thing as it’s power’s would have been taken away. They both battle mightily and the beast is making out for the better. It seems like nothing is killing this dastardly thing. He’s been stabbed over and over again and is throwing Xena and Beowulf around like rag dolls. He is beating the crap out of the both of them!

The scene changes to Gabrielle and Bruny walking up to the town and it is now light out. Bruny tells her, "You do realize this may mean your death?" and Gabrielle answers, "Xena’s path is my path." Bruny is envious and says, "I wish I had a friend like you." Don’t you mean lover Bruny? Sorry, couldn’t resist. Gabby stops and puts her hand on Bruny’s shoulder saying, "You do," before drawing her Sais’ as they are standing outside the house where Xena and Beowulf are located. They enter to see the place is destroyed and hear Beowulf groaning and boards cover him. He is not in good shape. He tells Gabrielle, "He dragged her off. I don’t know if she’s dead or alive."  Gabrielle is worried and she stands in the center of the room saying, "Xena," as she looks around. She finds Xena’s armor lying off to the side and says, "Xena, as she picks it up. She looks at it devastated and says, "No. Xena," and lightly rubs her thumb over the armor as we see those magical three words appear on the screen that all bards love to write…TO BE CONTINUED!

Enjoy!