Braveheart Page #8

CAMPBELL:

Brave show!

Hamish is miffed; it's like William won.

HAMISH:

I threw longer than last time!

CAMPBELL:

An ox is strong, but not clever.

HAMISH:

An ox is stupid enough to just stand

in one place.

WILLIAM:

That's not the point.

William turns, walks double the distance Hamish threw, and

turns and hurls the rock he holds! It whistles through the

air, hits Hamish in the forehead, and drops him like a shot.

WILLIAM:

That is.

Everybody cheers and laughs! They surround William.

CAMPBELL:

A fine display, young Wallace!

William takes a tankard of ale from a farmer, walks over and

tosses the cold liquid into Hamish's face; he wakes, and,

his eyes uncrossing, accepts William's hand, pulling him up.

WILLIAM:

Good to see you again.

HAMISH:

I should'a remembered the eggs.

Grinning, they embrace. MUSIC plays, the dancing begins.

William walks to the knot of young ladies... but passes

Marion, and moves to the girl with the missing teeth.

WILLIAM:

Would you honor me with a dance?

She's thrilled to accept; they begin to dance.

GIRL:

You've taken over your father's farm?

(beat)

They say he died long ago. Fighting

the English.

WILLIAM:

He died in an accident, with my

brother. Their cart turned over.

The musicians interrupt their playing; a group of heavily

armed horsemen, with banners and flying colors, ride up,

reining their horses into the middle of the celebration. In

the middle of the group is an English NOBLEMAN; he is gray,

in his fifties, and stops in front of the BRIDE and groom.

NOBLEMAN:

I have come to claim the right of

prima noctes. As the lord of these

lands, I will bless this marriage by

taking the bride into my bed on the

first night of her union.

Stewart, father of the BRIDE, lunges forward.

STEWART:

No, by God!

The horsemen point their lances at the unarmed Scots -- who

see that the English soldiers from the village have moved to

the edge of the gathering, as if to dare any resistance.

NOBLEMAN:

It is my noble right.

Even unarmed, Stewart is about to attack -- but the bride

intervenes. She grabs her father and whispers to him. She

moves to her husband and does the same. Holding back tears,

she allows herself to be pulled up behind one of the horsemen.

Marion MacClannough is looking on, sobered by her friend's

courage and sickened by her fate -- and Marion is even more

unsettled as she notices that one of the soldiers, a

particularly nasty looking brute with a scarred face, is

leering at her. William Wallace sees this too.

The noble and his escorts ride away, and as they do it begins

to rain. The celebration destroyed, the Scots gather the

food and disperse to their homes. But Wallace remains,

standing in the downpour, keeping his thoughts to himself.

EXT. THE WALLACE FARMHOUSE - MAGIC HOUR

The farmhouse looks lonely and forlorn. William stands at

the open door, and gazes out at the rain; it leaks on him,

through his roof; he doesn't seem to notice.

EXT. THE MACCLANNOUGH HOUSE - MAGIC HOUR

A thatched cottage, lit with a cozy fire, beneath the rain.

A hand KNOCKS on the door, and MacClannough opens it to find

William, on a horse! MacClannough frowns.

WILLIAM:

Good evening, sir. May I speak with

your daughter?

Mrs. MacClannough shoulders up beside her husband, and Marion

appears behind her scowling parents.

WILLIAM:

Marion... Would you like to go for a

ride on this fine evening?

MOTHER:

The boy's insane!

WILLIAM:

It's good Scottish weather, Madam,

the rain is fallin' straight down.

MOTHER:

She absolutely may not, she'll --

Marion!

Marion has grabbed a cloak off the back of the door; she

runs out to hop up behind William, and they gallop away.

THE RIDE - MAGIC HOUR

William and Marion race along the heather, up and down hills,

through swollen streams. The rain stops, as the sun sets;

the Scottish mists lift, revealing stunning natural beauty.

William stops the horse and they look out over it all

together. He speaks, without turning to face her.

WILLIAM:

Your father doesn't like me, does

he?

MARION:

It's not you. He dislikes that you're

a Wallace. He just says... the

Wallaces don't seem to live for very

long.

WILLIAM:

Thank you for accepting.

MARION:

Thank you for inviting.

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