Birkebeinerne

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(low-tempo music)

(shouts)

(horse whinnies)

(groans)

(child shouts)

Are you Inga of Varteig?

Yes.

We are Birkebeinerne.

Is that Hkon Hkonsson?

Yes.

You must come with us.

The King sends his greetings.

Come on.

It's all right, Hkon.

(woman sings in foreign language)

- Is he okay?

- Yes.

Hi.

We will soon be there,

and you will both be safe.

Oh, good.

- Be careful.

- Huh?

Skjervald:
She has borne

a child by the King, Torstein.

Torstein:
I'm just looking out

for the child, Skjervald. The child.

Now we must part, my friend.

Are you sure about this?

Yes, I know that the King's son

is in good hands.

Do you... do you know

how to milk a cow?

No. But Ylva does.

If you change your mind,

you know where we are.

- Torstein:
Get home safely.

- Skjervald:
Thanks.

Take care of the child, now.

The child!

Torstein:
You will never be a farmer,

Skjervald!

(chuckles)

(pounds on door)

(repeated pounding on door)

- Who is there?

- Skjervald:
It is I...

Skjervald.

Ylva:
There you are, finally.

Skjervald:
Yes,

had to go all the way to Borg...

So...

You are long overdue.

Yes, it took longer than I expected.

But, this was my final mission.

I promise, Ylva.

You said that you would

finish the house

and that the barn would be

finished by winter.

I know. And it will be finished.

Ylva:
By next winter, perhaps?

By summer.

Summer? Do you promise?

I promise, Ylva.

No more Birkebeinerne.

I will stay here, with you and Eirik.

I promise.

Is he asleep?

(Skjervald laughs)

Skjervald:
No, you're wide awake.

(laughs)

Come, my boy.

There, look.

And there.

Hi.

Oh, no.

Come, now.

(Eirik babbles)

- on:

- Oh.

Skjervald:
Oh.

Eirik:
Oh.

(Skjervald makes horse sounds)

(both panting and grunting)

Gisle:
Only you can

get close enough to him.

Therefore,

you must be the one to do it.

Margaret:
For God's sake, Gisle,

Hkon is my stepson!

Gisle:
He is the King, Margaret.

He's too young to understand that the

time of the Birkebeinerne is past.

The Baglers are going to

win this war,

and that is an opportunity

I intend to exploit.

Meet him alone.

He trusts you. It will be fine.

What if something... what if things

don't go as we have planned?

Gisle:
Of course things will go

as we have planned.

Everyone will believe

that it was Inge.

With him being first in line to

the throne, no one will suspect us.

Here.

Soon you will be queen again.

(door opens)

(door closes)

Mother?

You can't go through with it.

What?

I heard what he said.

You heard nothing.

Do you understand me? Nothing.

Can you promise me that?

If this becomes known...

we die.

My dear, dear daughter.

Forgive me. Forgive me.

I must return to Sweden.

But, when we meet again,

it will be when I marry

in Nidaros Cathedral

and become queen once again.

And you...

you will be my... princess.

I know it is an arduous task.

You have a long journey ahead of you.

But, Sweden is important to us,

and only you can win their trust.

You must persuade them to break with

the Church and support us

in our fight against the Baglers.

My father sees us, Margaret.

Let us make him proud.

Cheers, my friend.

For Norway.

I want to thank you, Margaret.

You stood loyally at my father's side

for as long as he lived.

I have seen your sorrow

since father died,

and I know that you miss him

as much as I do.

I have lost all those closest to me.

I now only have you and Kristin.

For all your affection, cheers.

Farewell, my son.

Farewell, Margaret.

(horse whinnies)

(grunting)

(Hkon screams)

(whimpering)

(Hkon shouts)

Get... get Inge Brdsson!

Gisle, where is Inge?

"Inge!

In Borg, I shared my bed with

a woman, Inga of Varteig.

She bore my son, Hkon Hkonsson.

He shall inherit the throne.

Birkebeinerne in Eastern Norway

are bringing him north.

Meet them in Osterdalen with an army!

(indistinct chatter)

We have a traitor among us.

Here, in this room.

Queen Dowager Margaret poisoned

the King, but she did not act alone.

She was just a pawn in a game.

Our traitor might believe that Rome

has won the battle for Norway...

and that he will avoid being punished

for his sins,

but believe me, Birkebeinerne...

I shall find him.

No one leaves, the gate is locked.

Of course, we will send an army south

as soon as possible

to find the King's son.

Inge:
No one leaves the royal

residence until the traitor is caught!

Eh, my brother is under

intense pressure.

Chancellor:
Unless he perhaps sees an

opportunity to make himself King?

What do you mean by that?

Inge is quick to accuse us,

the King's closest allies

as well as his own brother.

Gisle and Inge are not

the sons of kings.

Yet, if Sverre's bloodline

dies off with Hkon Hkonsson,

one of them will inherit the throne.

And Inge is eldest.

Inge is first in line of ascension.

Inge Brdsson stands to gain

most from the King's death.

So he accuses us,

loyal Birkebeinerne

who have sewed Norwegian kings

since before he was born.

It is no! Inge, it is Hkon Hkonsson

who is the heir to Norway's throne,

and the boy's life is in danger.

If the King's son dies, we will

become a dependency under Denmark.

The pope will rule over us.

What will you do, Gisle?

Anyone who attempts to leave,

shall be locked up.

Ravn...

gather your men

and bring the King's son here.

A Birkebeiner from Nidaros.

Stle:
It is from Earl Gisle.

We have just received the news

from Nidaros.

King Hkon is dead.

The Birkebeinerne have lost

their unifying force.

The time of kings is past.

But, the Church will always endure.

When one man falls,

another will take his place.

And he answers only to God.

We rule Eastern Norway;

Western Norway is next.

Soon the Church will have dominion

over all of Norway.

But one task remains.

King Hkon is survived by a son.

Today, an innocent boy;

tomorrow... our mightiest foe.

The boy is being hidden on a farm

here in our territory.

The man who finds the King's son,

shall enjoy great wealth

all of his days.

Show no mercy during your hunt

for the child,

for the Lord is eternally merciful,

but He also requires sacrifices.

Let law and order yield

along the way...

and bring me the boy's head.

(chopping sounds)

(bird rustles and flies away)

(Eirik cries)

Now, now, Eirik, it's okay.

It's okay.

Shh, shh, shh, shh.

(chopping sounds)

(door opens)

(grunting)

(Skjervald coughs)

(grunting)

(Skjervald struggling)

That is one tough wife you have.

Really tough.

What have you done with Ylva?

All is well.

- (Eirik cries)

- All is well.

Shh.

Skjervald:
Ylva?

Ylva!

Ylva:
Skjervald, we are here.

There is a boy of royal blood.

Where are they hiding the boy?

I don't know

what you are talking about.

Do you care so little for your family

that you would sacrifice their lives

for a dead king?

- Ylva:
Get it over with.

- Skjervald!

No, wait! wait!

The King's son is in Borg.

He was in Borg.

You and Torstein took him away.

I saw you.

Just tell us where the boy is, and he

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