Siward and the Boy Soldier walk through a landscape of snow.
In November the first snow fell and Siward left his army in Dunsinane.
An army can’t fight in winter, Mother – not here – not here
Where the rivers freeze and the black lakes freeze and the great watery bogs.
No – ice is no good for fighting on but it’s good for walking on.
Because when the ground is frozen a person can go about the country
Knowing that wherever he puts his feet – he’ll find solid ground.
So Siward and I set out to find the Queen. Not a soldier now,
Siward – not if you were to see him – more like a beggar –
A monk in his black robes and hood and me beside him –
Me still very much a soldier looking by the way – by the way,
I think you’d be surprised to see me now, Mother –
My young face gone and my body twice as thick as it was
And I think it’s true to say men back down from me now.
When I approach them they cast their eyes down –
They mumble and hold their breath – as you should for a soldier.
It’s not an unpleasant way to pass a winter – walking.
This is a cold country but when there’s no mist in the air –
No rain – no grey – no wet – which can be surprisingly often –
Then Scotland becomes a place of white against blue –
Blue sky against white mountains – bright blue against white birch bark –
And the white diagonal cross against blue field which is their flag –
A flag they seem to fly from every castle now.
We walk from village to village following the smoke of what rumours we find.
We walk again and ask again, walk and ask, walk and ask.
I’m bone tired but the truth is, Mother – it’s not the walking.
Each night we find some hearth or other – somewhere to lie down,
And Siward lies awake and I lie awake and if I ever do close my eyes
I feel I’m falling down toward the blackness inside me and
I see Edward or Eric or Tom or all the other ones dead
Or I see my sword taking off that man’s arm or I feel the sick fear
That I’m about to die myself – and then – thump –
Like a cart going over a wheel rut and I’m knocked awake
And it turns out I’ve been shouting. So Siward calms me
And we both go back to silence – to lying in the ember light
And to Siward goes the doubt and to me comes the fear
And running round and round my head like a mad horse
The question I can never ask.
‘Why are we here?’ ‘Why are we here?’ ‘Why are we here?’
*
A small chapel on an island in the middle of a frozen loch. Snow on the ground.
Three Women, wrapped up well against the cold, gather firewood.
The Women sing a lullaby in Gaelic.
Siward and the Boy Soldier walk across the ice to the island.
Siward carries, on his back, the boy’s body.
Siward Is the Queen here?
The Women stop their work.
I’m looking for the Queen.
The Women don’t speak.
Is she here?
The Women don’t speak.
I was told this was the Queen’s lake.
I was told this was her island.
I was told this was her chapel.
The Women don’t speak.
I was told you are her women?
The Women don’t speak.
Why won’t you answer?
Gruach enters.
Gruach They don’t speak English.
Nearly a year here and you haven’t yet learned our language.
Siward Gruach.
Gruach Tell your boy to put his weapon down.
This is a holy place.
Siward Do as she says.
The Boy Soldier places his weapon down on the ground.
One of the Women takes it.
Siward Where are your men?
Gruach I’m guarded well enough.
Siward I just walked across the lake.
Nobody challenged me.
Gruach We knew you were coming.
You spread your intentions around like mess, Siward.
You’re hard to avoid.
What do you want?
Siward Your son is dead.
I’ve brought him back to you.
I brought him back so you could bury him.
Take him to Iona …
Where the kings are buried.
You said that was your custom.
Gruach How did he die?
Siward I killed him.
Gruach Lulach.
He was never a bold boy.
Startled by noises.
He would have been a careful king.
Siward I’m sorry.
Gruach Why did you come here, Siward?
Siward I want to settle things between us.
Gruach You had that chance long ago.
Siward I made a mistake.
Gruach A mistake?
You invaded my country.
You humiliated me in front of my people.
You killed my son.
Did you not know you were doing that?
Siward Everything I did, I did because I thought that doing it was for the best.
Gruach What do you want me to say, Siward?
Do you want me to forgive you?
Siward No.
Gruach What then? Did you walk all this way in winter just to open your mouth and close it, did you come to sing your apologies to the snow?
Siward No.
Gruach I should kill you now.
I should call down my men on you and have them skin you in front of me.
That’s what I should do.
Siward Why don’t you?
Gruach Honour.
Siward Gruach.
I’ve come here without a weapon.
I came here to talk.
A man and a woman here in the snow – a man and a woman who have to work out how best to organise their world.
Gruach Do you have a proposal?
Siward No.
I want to hear your proposal.
Gruach Go home.
Siward You can’t defeat me, Gruach, and I can’t defeat you.
I can’t go home without a settlement.
The war’s over for the winter but eventually spring will come and in the end we’ll have to fight again unless we find a way to end it.
What are your terms?
Gruach I have none.
Siward Lulach is dead. Malcolm is the unchallenged King. The Moray claim is over.
What is there left to fight for, Gruach?
I understand there is a dance of leaving.
Let’s take the first steps together.
Gruach There is a challenge.
Siward What?
Gruach There is a challenge.
She calls a Woman forward.
She shows Siward the baby.
You killed the boys in Glen Lyon.
That was a mistake.
Lulach had a son.
This child.
This child is now the King.
Siward No.
No.
Gruach, how long will you pursue this madness? Would you have me burn every village and farm and castle and field in the country and let Scotland fall to forest again? Would you still fight on then? Would you recruit the deer and the wolves to continue the war for you? How long?
Bring your country peace.
Give this up.
Gruach There will be peace in Scotland when this boy is King.
Siward No.
Boy –
Boy Soldier Sir?
Siward Take the child.
The Boy Soldier takes the child from the Woman.
Siward – armed now with a knife – places himself between the Women and the Boy Soldier who holds the baby.
Siward We’ve both lost sons in Scotland, Gruach.
It’s time for us both to do what’s best for our people.
The Moray claim is over. Accept that or I’ll kill this child.
Gruach Kill the child, Siward. Scotland will find another child.
Siward And then I will kill you.
Gruach Scotland will find another queen.
Siward What are you, Gruach?
A witch?
A woman?
Ice?
Ice – yes – that’s close to it.
But not enough –
Imagine a village – a village in a valley, say – and this valley is fertile and green and young and then one day a cloud that descends on it – Gruach – a black cloud that sucks the life out the ground and leaves it frozen and hopeless. That’s what you are, Gruach – you are winter.
Gruach And are you summer? Have you strewn flowers beneath your feet? Did you bring life when you came here to Scotland?
Siward That was my intention.
Gruach Oh, how in love you are with your good intentions.
Look at you clinging on to them even now.
Like dead babies at your breast.
Siward I’m asking you for the last time –
Consent to Malcolm or I’ll kill the child.
Gruach You’re weak, Siward.
A weak commander under a weak king.
You’ll go home in the end.
Beaten and humiliated.
And when you’re back in your empty castle, Siward, and one of mine is on the throne again in Dunsinane, I’ll send parties of men raiding into your beloved Northumberland to take cattle and women and burn villages and kill your knights. For as long as I reign I’ll torment you and when I die I’ll leave instructions in my will to every Scottish Queen that comes after me to tell her King to take up arms and torment England again and again and again until the end of time.
Siward Consent.
Stillness.
Boy Soldier Sir.
…
The baby, Sir –
…
It’s shitted, Sir.
The Boy Soldier tries to calm the child.
The baby cries.
Sir, I think it’s hungry.
…
Sir, I think it’s hungry.
…
Are we going to kill it?
…
It’s annoying, Sir.
…
Why don’t we just kill it?
…
Shhh … shhhh …
It’s all right. Everything’s all right, little man.
…
Shall I try rocking it, Sir,
Rocking it in my arms?
The Boy Soldier tries to calm the child.
I think it would be easier if we killed it.
…
It seems to go quiet if I bounce it on my shoulder.
…
Bouncy bouncy bouncy.
The baby stops crying.
Sir.
…
Sir.
…
What do you want me to do with it, Sir?
Siward Give him back to his mother.
The Boy Soldier gives the child to the Woman, who reaches out for it.
Woman [Here, come to me, shh shh.]
She takes the child.
Gruach You’re a good man, Siward.
It would have been better if you weren’t.
There would have been much less blood.
Siward puts the knife away.
Siward Boy.
Boy Soldier Sir.
Siward Come.
Siward We walk.
Boy Soldier I’m tired, Sir.
Siward We walk.
Boy Soldier It’s late.
Siward We walk.
Boy Soldier Where, Sir?
Siward turns and walks away.
He walks into the snow.
He disappears.
The Boy Soldier gives the bag with the head to Gruach.
He hesitates.
Gruach Go.
The Boy Soldier walks.
Everything has disappeared.
There is only the Boy and white.
And then there is only white.