HALVORN AND THE BOYS

FADE IN:
THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE TOWN OF ATHRING, STRONGHOLD OF DUKE TORADOC RENNIGAR.

1. A CROW FLIES PAST LOW TO THE GROUND REVEALING IN THE DISTANCE FIVE MEN RIDING TOWARDS YOU ALONG THE ROAD. IN THE CLOSE FOREGROUND IS THE BACK PART OF A SIGN.

2. THEY WEAR THE CHAIN MAIL ARMOR AND TABERD OF THE ROYAL PALATINE GUARD. The horses bear the royal brand and the saddles are regulation issue.

HALVORN DEXTER, wearing a captain's insignia, rides slightly ahead of the others. He rides stiffly, always slightly in pain. Halvorn is not unhandsome, leather-faced man in his early forties. A thoughtful, self-educated top sword-slinger with a penchant for violence who is afraid of nothing---except the changes in himself and those around him.

Make no mistake, Halvorn Dexter is not a hero---his values are not ours-- he is a sword-slinger, a criminal, a bandit, a killer of men. His sympathies are not for fences, for social justice or better schools. He lives outside and against society because he believes in that way of life and if he has moments of sympathy for others, moments of regret, they are short lived. He is not a 'good man' according to the righteous... To them he is totally bad, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Next to him TADEUS GREYFRID wears the insignia of a sergeant. Tadeus is big, good-natured with a strong sword arm, strong loyalty and, like Halvorn, a bone deep distaste for rules and regulations. He can sing, has more than his share of charm, but believes in nothing except two men, and Halvorn is one.

Behind them ride two brothers, TUTTLE and TECTOR GORCH, dressed as corporals. Tuttle and Tector are big, tough, hot tempered and sudden. They work together, eat together and sometimes sleep together with the same whore. Brutal, vicious in a fight, illiterate, they are always pressing for an advantage and once they get it-- they never let go. They are without loyalty or honor, to anyone except each other and that is limited.

A fifth man wears the uniform of a regular soldier. This is IVOR. Ivor is a good-looking, bilingual Vestrian boy in his middle 20's who has seen so much blood and violence and cruelty under Isak Donverness that he rebelled -- but his rebellion was not for a just cause, his was a one-man revolution against them all. He believes in his family, his village and the inherent dignity of man (some men at least). He is faster than his companions with a sword -- and a better shot with a bow -- but he can't laugh at the loss of love or suffer the loss of pride -- Skeldian pride -- a pride that can kill him, but if it does, he will have no regrets.

3. REACHING THE SIGN THE MEN STOP. Without speaking they begin to brush off their clothing and get their uniforms in order.

4. THE SIGN READS: Athring 1 League.
And underneath, someone has printed:
POPULATION 5682
STAY ON AND GROW WITH OUR COMMUNITY

5. HALVORN AND TADEUS STARE FOR A MOMENT AT THE SIGN, slightly bemused.

TADEUS
Make you feel welcome?

HALVORN
(dryly)
It helps.

TECTOR
What's it say?

IVOR
(baiting him)
It invites us to stay with the community and grow.
It is here, perhaps with time and a small miracle --
that you could be taught to read

Tector looks at Ivor for a long moment, then turns to Halvorn.

TECTOR
I never enlisted to serve with no
smart-mouthed kid.

IVOR
Nor I with dogs.

TADEUS
(grinning at Halvorn)
I'd like to transfer to another unit --
there seems to be dissension in the ranks.

HALVORN
( to Tector and Ivor)
I'll transfer both of you to hell -- just one
more word.

They look at him silently. He means it.

HALVORN
Come on -- we have knifes work to do.

Halvorn spurs his horse and the group starts for town.

(to be continued)