The Broken Band sample
A few miles north of the battlefield, two Scottish survivors are hiding in a ruined sheiling Two wounded men from different backgrounds. One, Sir John Renwick, is a young nobleman spurred by chivalric loyalty. The other, Andrew Kerr, is an older commoner bound by feudal duty.
JOHN Are we not safe here, at least for a time?
ANDREW You fund this place. Ithers micht.
JOHN Do you know exactly where we are?
ANDREW Still oan English soil, I doot. I think we're aboot a mile ablow the Tweed.
JOHN You think we'll be safer north of the river?
ANDREW In border country, naewhaur's safe.
JOHN You think the English will follow? Invade?
ANDREW Wha's to prevent them?
JOHN But their victory cost them. They suffered losses.
ANDREW Naethin as sair as ours.
JOHN It was a slaughter beside me. So many good men.... We just couldn't get close to the English. Their cursed halberds carved our pikes to pieces.
ANDREW And a sword's nae match for a halberd.
JOHN I took a blow from one and fell. The next blow would have finished me, but another man fell dying on top of me. I remember little else until nightfall. Somehow, I managed to crawl clear and get away. What happened to you?
ANDREW Much the same. I could tell the battle was lost. The English were closin oan every side. It was gettin daurk. I took my chaunce.
JOHN Your chance? You mean.... you fled?
ANDREW I survived.
JOHN Some fought to the end.
ANDREW Did they? Heroes, eh?
JOHN Every man.
ANDREW They're back there. We're here.
JOHN I pray the King was spared.
ANDREW I doot. Him and his nobles.
JOHN A sorry day for the nobility. For Scotland.
ANDREW For us! The common folk! We'll suffer warst! There'll be raids and reprisals. Oor villages burn while the last o' the fine lords wha stertit this, lick their wounds safe ahint castle wa's.
JOHN The English began this war.
ANDREW I wadna ken aboot that.
JOHN King Henry invaded France.
ANDREW What's that to folk like me?
JOHN We were treaty bound to help France.
ANDREW Why? I canna mind the French helpin me till my fields. You fine nobles, you stert yer wars, but we feenish them. I'll tell ye. Maist o' the men oan yon hill yesterday didna want to be there.
JOHN I did. I served my King.
ANDREW Yer King meant nocht to me. I was there at the command o' my Laird.... my late Laird. He taks up arms, the likes o' me maun dae likewise. It's him we follow. Not yer King. Not Scotland.
JOHN I can't understand such narrow-
ANDREW Ye dinna understaun border weys. We've nae quarrel wi' the English. Hauf my village are related to folk ablow the border. Kin were oan baith sides o' the battlefield.
JOHN Yes, that was plain to see, the way your border division seemed to miss most of the fighting.
ANDREW And avoid openin auld wounds. Rekindlin faimily feuds. If ye lived here, ye'd ken survival comes first. Ye'd hae won awa frae the battle afore the English got close eneuch to herm ye.