The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Page #5

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GANDALF turns on his heel . . . and stares at a surpirsed

PIPPIN.

GANDALF (cont'd)

I ride for Minas Tirith! And I won't be

going alone !

EXT. EDORAS STREETS - DAWN

ANGLE ON:
GANDALF hurries along the STREETS . . . PIPPIN and

MERRY run alongside trying to KEEP UP . . .

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 21.

CONTINUED:
·

GANDALF:

Of all the inquisitive Hobbits, Peregrin,

Took, you are the worst. Hurry, hurry!

PIPPIN catches up to MERRY.

PIPPIN:

(worried)

Where are we going?

MERRY:

Why did you look - why do you always have

to look?

PIPPIN .

(subdued)

I don't know . . . I can't help it.

MERRY turns away ...

MERRY:

You never can.

PIPPIN:

(lightly) . . . . ,.; ·

I'm sorry, alright? I won't do it again.

This is too much for MERRY. He turns on PIPPIN.

MERRY:

Don't you understand ... the Enemy thinks

you have the Ring . . . he's going to be

looking for you, Pip. They have to get you

out of here!

PIPPIN:

And you. You're coming with me . . .

Merry?

MERRY:

Come on!

PUSH IN:
PIPPIN'S face as MERRY strides away.

' ,., CUT TO:

Final Revision - October, 2003 22

INT. EDORAS STABLES - DAWN

ANGLE ON:
PIPPIN is dumped unceremoniously onto the back of

SHADOWFAX as GANDALF hurriedly prepares to leave . . .

PIPPIN:

(nervous)

How far is Minas Tirith?

GANDALF:

Three days ride as the Nazgul flies and

you'd better hope we don't have one of

those on our tail.

MERRY thrusts a SMALL PACKAGE into PIPPIN'S HAND . . .

MERRY:

Here - something for the road.

PIPPIN stares down at the leather-bound bundle of PIPE-WEED.

PIPPIN:

The last of the Longbottom Leaf.

MERRY:

I know you've run out . . . you smoke too

much, Pip.

PIPPIN:

But we'11 see each other soon?

A WORRIED MERRY exchanges glances with GANDALF.

PIPPIN (cont'd)

Won't we?

MERRY:

I don't know . . . I don't know what's going

to happen.

GANDALF mounts SHADOWFAX.

PIPPIN:

(rising panic)

Merry?

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 23.

CONTINUED:

GANDALF spurs the GREAT HORSE forward.

GANDALF:

Run Shadowfax, show us the meaning of

haste.

PIPPIN:

(panicked)

Merry!

SHADOWFAX thunders out of the STABLES!

CLOSE ON:
MERRY'S devastated face.

EXT. GATES OF EDORAS - DAY

ANGLE ON:
SHADOWFAX carried GANDALF and PIPPIN out of the

GATE and down the WINDING ROAD towards the PLAINS QF ROHAN.

EXT. EDORAS GATES LOOK-OUT - DAY

ANGLE ON:
MERRY clambers up a WATCHTOWER, ARAGORN in pursuit.

ANGLE ON:
:The SMALL FIGURE as he watches his best friend

DISAPPEAR into the DISTANCE . . .

CLOSE ON:
ARAGORN . . . he knows what it is to lose someone.

EXT. RIVENDELL FOREST - DAY

WIDE:
ARWEN - escorted by a SMALL ENTOURAGE of ELVES - rides

through the gathering darkness of a PINE FOREST ...

ELROND V/0

Take her by the safest road. A ship lies

anchored in the Grey Havens. It waits to

carry her across the Sea . . . The last

journey of Arwen Undomiel.

SLOW MOTION:
As ARWEN rides through the FOREST the FIGURE of

a SMALL BOY of about 5 SUDDENLY runs across the path in front

of her.

ARWEN reigns in ASFALOTH ... something about the BOY

intrigues her.- but she does not know why . . .

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 24.

CONTINUED:

As ARWEN watches the BOY moves away, the TREES begin to thin

. . . the BOY continues running. One by one the TREES TRANSFORM

into TALL WHITE PILLARS ...

ARWEN'S POV:
The BOY now stands within a VISION of the

majestic architecture of the great Gondorian city of MINAS

TIRITH.

A SILHOUETTED FIGURE appears in the distance and moves

towards the CHILD . . . the BOY runs to the FIGURE.

ARWEN watches as the FIGURE holds out its arms - swinging the

LAUGHING CHILD into the AIR . . .

The figure turns to reveal ... ARAGORN, a little older,

dressed in the casual finery of a GONDORIAN NOBLE.

CLOSE ON:
The'CHILD, now in ARAGORN'S ARMS looks directly at

ARWEN . . . it is a QUIET LOOK filled with INFINITE SADNESS.

ARWEN'S eyes drop to the CHILD'S CHEST . . . around the CHILD'S

neck hangs the EVENSTAR . . .

CLOSE ON:
ARWEN as she realizes she is staring at a future

that can never be, the CHILD she and ARAGORN will never have.

INSERT:
ELROND speaking to his daughter . . .

ELROND V/0 (cont'd)

Arwen, there is nothing for you here ...

only death.

ARWEN shuts her eyes ... when she opens them again the VISION

is gone . . . she is staring at DARK TREES once more.

ELF ESCORT O.S.

Lady Arwen?

ARWEN turns towards her COMPANION who stares at her,

concerned.

ELF ESCORT:

We cannot delay.

SUDD ENLY:
ARWEN wheels ASFAL OTH ar ound . . . riding away.

(C O N TI N U ED )

Final Revision - October, 2003 25.

CONTINUED:
(2)

ELF ESCORT (cont'd)

(calling)

My Lady!

EXT. RIVENDELL - DAY

WIDE SHOT:
ARWEN'S HORSE gallops over the BRIDGE and through

the GATES into RIVENDELL.

EXT. ELROND'S BALCONY, RIVENDELL - DAY

ANGLE ON:
ELROND seated alone ... ARWEN runs up the STEPS

towards him ...

ARWEN ....

What did you see?

CLOSE ON:
ELROND stands - stunned. ,,

ELROND:

Arwen?

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