Braveheart Page #30

Out in the corridor, the guards gather; they have Wallace

trapped. He covers the horse's eyes with a cloth and spurs

his flanks. The blind animal runs through the window!

EXT. CASTLE - NIGHT - SLOW MOTION

The horse and rider plunge past the sheer walls of the

castle... and into the loch! Mornay's guards and the castle

servants cluster at the windows to see Wallace and the horse

surface, and swim to the shore, escaping!

EXT. SCOTTISH VILLAGE - DAY

The news has spread through the countryside. In the town

square, drunken Scotsmen chant...

PEOPLE:

Wal-lace! Wal-lace! Wal-lace!

Old Craig rides past them, heading toward the Bruce's castle

on the hill above the town.

INT. BRUCE CASTLE - DAY

Robert is in his central room; he hears the chanting from

far below. Old Craig enters.

ROBERT:

Is it true about Mornay?

Craig hands him the bloody nightshirt Mornay was wearing.

ROBERT:

And he rode through the window? My

God.

He can't hide his admiration. From below, he still hears the

people CHANTING...

EXT. LONDON - GARDENS - DAY

Longshanks and Edward are in the royal gardens, resplendent

with spring. Longshanks pulls a new flower, and crushes it.

LONGSHANKS:

His legend grows! It will be worse

than before!

EDWARD:

You let Wallace escape your whole

army. You cannot blame me for this.

Longshanks glowers at his son; the Princess arrives.

PRINCESS:

Good day to you, M'Lords.

EDWARD:

You mock us with a smile?

PRINCESS:

I am cheerful with a plan to soothe

your miseries. All of England shudders

with the news of renewed rebellion.

EDWARD:

Wallace's followers.

PRINCESS:

Wallace himself. If you wish to

pretend a ghost rallies new volunteers

in every Scottish town, I leave you

to your hauntings. If you wish to

take him, I know a way.

Edward snickers in derision -- but his wife is steel.

PRINCESS:

I have faced him. Have you?

LONGSHANKS:

Let her speak.

PRINCESS:

He will fight you forever. But what

does he fight for? Freedom first,

and peace. So grant them.

EDWARD:

The little cow is insane --

PRINCESS:

Grant, as you do everything else,

with treachery. Offer him a truce to

discuss terms, and send me to my

castle at Locharmbie as your emissary.

He trusts me. Pick thirty of your

finest assassins for me to take along.

And I will set the meeting, and the

ambush.

LONGSHANKS:

You see, my delicate son? I have

picked you a Queen.

EXT. THE PRINCESS' SCOTTISH CASTLE - DAY

Locharmbie is a small, picturesque castle on a hillside. As

the queen's entourage moves through the gates, they close

behind her. She steps out of the carriage and moves into

INT. CASTLE - THE GREAT HALL - DAY

Inside the great hall are thirty killers, led by their CHIEF

ASSASSIN, a cutthroat with a mangled eye.

CHIEF ASSASSIN:

We came in small groups, so the rebels

would not suspect.

PRINCESS:

And you have reached Wallace's men?

CHIEF ASSASSIN:

We tell the villagers, and the

traitors pass it on. All that's left

is for you to say where.

EXT. MARION'S GROVE - NIGHT

Wallace is in the grove of trees where Marion is buried.

Drinking in the silence, his own isolation. He hears a RUSTLE

behind him, and spins, drawing the broadsword. Then his face

registers... it's Hamish and Stephen.

Hamish is unsure if he did the right thing in coming here --

unsure, until Wallace moves to them, and hugs them.

INT. CAVE - NIGHT

They are in the old secret cave; rain is falling, but it's

dry inside, with a campfire smoldering at the entrance.

WALLACE:

Thanks for the food and drink. And

for bringing 'em yourselves.

HAMISH:

We're here to stay. We don't care to

live, if we can't fight beside ya.

Stephen pulls a jug of whiskey from his pocket. He swigs,

hands it to Hamish for a chug, then to Wallace, who declines,

but smiles for the first time in many weeks.

HAMISH:

There is... one thing, William.

Longshanks is offering a truce. He

has dispatched his daughter-in-law

as his emissary, and she has sent

word that she wishes to meet you --

in a barn.

Wallace frowns; a barn?

EXT. A BARN IN THE SCOTTISH COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

Hauntingly similar to the one in Wallace's childhood. As he

sits on his horse and looks at the place, surmounted by a

white flag of truce, it gives him a chill. But in full view

of the barn, he hands Hamish his sword and rides forward.

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