Damsel Page #11

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in the morning light.

Hens peck at the grass.

Elise is rolling her blanket into her bag, preparing to head

out. Gilbert sleeps nearby. She steals a glance as she

packs.

She straps her quiver over her shoulder, followed by her bag

and finally, her bow.

She bends and kisses Gilbert’s forehead goodbye. He doesn’t

stir.

Elise begins to make her way out of the wagon circle when she

spots a familiar face tussling with hay, tending the horses

ahead.

Headmistress ACANTHA, the most elaborately dressed of all the

gypsies. A heavy-set woman in her late 60’s.

Elise smiles wide as she approaches.

The warm woman wraps Elise in a loving embrace.

ACANTHA:

My finch, flying away again?

ELISE:

I am afraid so.

ACANTHA:

Hopefully you will come to stay,

one day.

ELISE:

I would like that very much.

ACANTHA:

I know Gilbert prays for it.

The headmistress laughs and strokes Elise’s face with a

maternal glow.

62.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

Hearts break. It is the way of

fragile love. You are young and

your spirit is wild. You might not

guess it, but I know the feeling

well.

Elise smiles.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

You are always welcome among us.

ELISE:

Thank you, Acantha.

Acantha notices the silver chain around the girl’s neck.

Her demeanor becomes utterly sincere. A severe antithesis to

the motherly figure she was moments earlier.

Her eyes narrow with suspicion.

ACANTHA:

Where’d you come across something

with such darkness?

Elise shifts uncomfortably under Acantha’s ominous scrutiny.

ELISE:

What do you mean?

ACANTHA:

That jewel hanging on your neck has

powerful darkness in it.

Elise reaches for the jewel around her neck.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

Place your hand in mine.

She cautiously rests her hand in the gypsy queen’s coarse

palm.

The headmistress is encumbered by the weight of Elise’s

emotion and self doubt.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

By not telling anyone of your day

with the prince, or of the

destination he sought, you have

brought the burden of saving him

onto your shoulders alone.

(MORE)

63.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

You fear that by turning your back

on your life at home, you have

tangled yourself into a fate that

was not yours to conquer.

Acantha peers into Elise’s soul. A word of encouragement.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

It was no accident. All comes to

pass, exactly as it is meant to.

The burden has always been yours to

bear, Elise. It is why Cavill came

upon you in the forest.

Acantha continues.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

When you accepted this task, you

did not know your foe. Perhaps you

would have chosen differently if

you had. Perhaps that is why you

were not meant to know. But now

fate has brought you to me, that I

may help you understand the

darkness you face. Because, I know

it well. Fate guides you. You are

its champion. For that reason, I

believe that you stand a chance.

A warning.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

There is one who controls the

forces of the twilight world. She

rules the legions of dead. She has

taken princes of other lands before

yours and she will not stop until

the world of man is under her will.

ELISE:

She has Cavill?

ACANTHA:

Yes.

Elise fills with hope, her eyes widen.

ELISE:

He is alive?

The question hangs in the air.

ACANTHA:

For now.

64.

ELISE:

What do I do? How do I fight such

an evil, if it truly is mine to

face?

ACANTHA:

Darkness has power where hope is

lost. The spirit dies in

hopelessness. And so, the doubt

that we have in ourselves, that

doubt that lives deep in our

spirit, is the deadliest foe any of

us will ever face.

Acantha stares deeply into the weary girl’s eyes.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

I pray, for all of our sake, you

are victorious. If you do not

prevail, many will suffer. The

world will see generations of chaos

and violence. None will escape her

wrath. Not your family in South

Shire, not our tribe, none in our

kingdom or beyond.

ELISE:

Can she be stopped?

ACANTHA:

It is not my way to know the things

which alter time, only to know that

they can be altered. Stay steady.

Keep your pace. Do not sway in her

manipulation. Cling to hope,

though it seems futile. And listen

to fate, it guides you.

Acantha brings Elise close, holding tight in her embrace.

ACANTHA (CONT’D)

There is no darkness so black that

even the faintest flame cannot

overcome.

Acantha releases her.

CUT TO:

EXT. SOUTHERN THESSIA WILDERNESS - THAT MORNING

The queen’s mercenaries approach a camp of strangers.

65.

Four, unsuspecting victims. No more than 20 years old each.

They’re dressed in simple, but clean, cotton clothes. Their

morning fire burns hot. Rabbit on the spit.

The group of young men stir uncomfortably when the ruffians

make it to their campsite. The boys are dwarfed, even by

Fishel.

VEL:

Morning boys.

A zestful, rotted tooth grin.

Bear makes a point of throwing his nose in the air to

clarify.

BEAR:

Good smelling meat.

VEL:

Where you traveling to?

The bravest of the group responds. Still, weary.

CAMPER #1

Just out hunting for our families.

VEL:

Just out hunting for your families,

huh?

Rune examines their fine, clean clothing.

RUNE:

Clothes like that, seems like your

family can afford to buy their

food.

VEL:

Certainly aren’t hunting-clothes.

Vel lets the intimidation game hang stagnant in the air for a

moment.

VEL (CONT’D)

You boys wouldn’t have happened to

set a trap a way back?

He describes it sarcastically.

VEL (CONT’D)

Big thing. Tied to a tree. Nice

crushing blow sort-of swipe, across

the path.

66.

They shake their heads.

CAMPER #1

No. Wasn’t us.

CAMPER #2

We should get going.

BEAR:

Ah, but you’ve not even eaten. Why

the hurry?

The bullies encroach.

CAMPER #2

You are welcome to it. If you are

hungry.

FISHEL:

We planned to have it anyway.

CAMPER #1

We don’t want any trouble.

VEL:

And yet, trouble has found you.

Rune catches the prince’s reward poster in one of their bags.

Pulls it out.

RUNE:

Hunting, eh?

What can they say?

VEL:

I am not fond of liars.

Vel takes the reward poster from Rune and rips it in half.

VEL (CONT’D)

Not much competition either.

BEAR:

You know, I think they may have set

that trap.

CAMPER #1

Honest, it wasn’t us.

RUNE:

Quiet.

Vel signals Fishel with his eyes, gesturing toward the pack.

67.

Fishel takes one of their bags up and begins to shake the

contents into the dirt.

VEL:

Won’t mind if we have a look?

One of the campers stands. Bear buries his fist in the

camper’s face. Knocks him out cold.

The remaining wearily scoot from their places, trying to

separate themselves from the clan.

Vel sees Fishel pull a length of rope from the bag.

VEL (CONT’D)

Bear, I think these hunters intend

to run. Why don’t you make sure

they don’t.

Fishel tosses the rope to Bear.

CAMPER #2

Please. Take whatever you want.

Fishel has finished digging through one of the bags. Tosses

a pouch of coins to Vel.

VEL:

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