Murderous thugs are sacking a temple and trying to kidnap the young followers, when Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer arrive to fight them. Xena engages the leader, Kryton, while Joxer shields the woman he was viciously beating. Gabrielle is shocked to realize that the woman is Najara, a religious zealot they had believed to be imprisoned. Joxer, while trying to shield Gabrielle and Najara, inadvertently kills Kryton. Xena is dismayed to see Najara, and Joxer is shocked that he has actually taken a life. Xena dutifully dresses Najara's wounds, but is determined to take her back to the prison from which she escaped. Najara claims that while in jail she met Eli, an Indian prophet, and is now devoted to nonviolence and peace. Xena does not believe her, but Gabrielle is sympathetic. As with their previous encounter, Najara tells Gabrielle to leave Xena's violent world and join her to found a hospice. Meanwhile, Joxer is crushed by what he has done and is uncomfortable at being hailed as a hero by the locals for killing Kryton. Learning that Kryton had a son, Arman, Joxer feels he has to tell him what happened. Arriving at the boy's boarding school, Joxer relents when he realizes that Arman believed his father to be a brave, righteous man. Learning of his father's death, Arman swears vengeance on the killer, and Xena lets him ride with them. Joxer and Arman uneasily bond, but all that comes to an end when Najara tells Arman of his father's evil deeds and Joxer's involvement in his demise. Arman wants to kill Joxer, but Xena intervenes and asks him to spare Joxer's life. The boy reluctantly agrees, but leaves camp, as Xena reminds him that the man Joxer killed was not the man Arman thinks of as his father. Gabrielle continues to defend Najara's conversion, when a breathless Arman returns to warn them that Kryton's men are coming to kill Joxer. Joxer is relieved that his guilt will finally end, until Arman tells him that he knows that the man Joxer killed was a man he never knew. Joxer's guilt is eased a little, and Xena leads the fight against the thugs. When Xena is injured, Najara will not let Gabrielle go to her aid. Angry that Gabrielle is still loyal to Xena, the voices in Najara's head tell her to destroy the warrior princess. After an epic battle, Xena manages to wound Najara. With the bond between them stronger than ever, Xena and Gabrielle leave the comatose Najara in an asylum, uncertain whether her voices will one day call her back to consciousness. DISCLAIMER Argo's gastrointestinal condition was cleared up upon completion of this motion picture.