The wilderness

{A wasteland of dead shrubs and trees, mountains in the distance, evening is setting on}

[overhead shot, man in rags with a pack, touseled hair, walking slowly from righthand of the screen]

[cut to man's face, he's tired, with old scars]

[he looks up and sees something]

[cut to over his shoulder. focus towards a house almost in ruins on the edge of a lake]

[he approaches the house where a man now stands on the porch watching him approach]

the fisher - can I help you?

[the king is now about 10 paces from the fisher]

[the king lays down his pack, which is almost empty, there are couple leather bags, a sword, and a waterskin almost empty]

the king - I'm travelling and I'm running low on supplies

the fisher - I see that. Have any coin?

the king looks down - no

the fisher - well now

the king looks up almost pleading

the fisher - I tell you what. I need a hand with some work around here. My help is gone to the settlement for some trade, and I can't do my work alone. How's that sound

the king - that sounds fair to me

the fisher - that's good. Now about that sword...

the king looks for a second, kneels and picks up the sword by the blade, and kneels before the fisher, offering it to him grip-first

the fisher looks for a second at this odd sight, takes the sword from him, slowly. then leans it casaully on his shoulder

the fisher - alright then. let's go

{inside the house, old but not out of order, dimmly lit except for the sunset creeping in the window at the back of the house, a candle on the table as well}

the fisher lays the sword above the fireplace which is empty and cold for now, he walks with a limp, favoring his right leg

the king follows behind, looking around the house, empty except for the fireplace, an icebox, a table and a couple rough chairs a countertop with a few shelves, the shelves have a few wooden plates and cutting boards, a couple bowls, a pot and a skillet, there's a washbasin on a counter near a window with a rough brush and some handmade soap nearby. there are a couple barrels with fishing rods, fishing nets several small boxes with assorted tackle, on one side there's a ladder to the second floor. in another corner is a bedspread, folded up for now

the fisher - are you familiar with my trade?

the king - I've seen it done but I've never tried it myself

the fisher - well you're gonna learn, if you're not too dense in the skull

the king - yes sir, thank you for your hospitality

the fisher - I'm no "sir", just a fisher. 

the king - all the same, master fisher

the fisher hmph's with a half smile - when did you last eat

the king thinks - three days ago I killed a snake I found under a bush with a rock

the fisher looks astonished for a second - Three days? Then I'll have to get some food in you or you won't be any good to work, come dawn.

[fisher begins preparing meal of fish soup, taking some dried fish from a rack in a cupboard, as well as some dried tomatoes and some spices]

the fisher - it's no business of mine, but I am curious about you. would you tell me anything about yourself?

the king sits in thought, staring at the fire for a minute - I've been travelling for 2 months now, I got lost in the east and now I'm just trying to get back home.

fisher - that so? what about a name?

the king - you can call me will

fisher - ah, will. Well, will, we better be getting some shuteye, we got a lot of work ahead of us tomorrow, there's a cot up top that you can borrow for the night, my leg won't let me climb up there anymore. I let my help sleep up there but I'm sure he won't mind if you borrowed it.

the king - thank you master fisher, goodnight

--

{before sunrise, behind the house, near the dock, which is mishapen and gray with age. docked is a fishing boat 12 paces from stem to sturn 4 paces port to starboard on the main deck}

fisher and king are loading nets and floats into the hold beneath the deck, gathering bait, stacking crates. fisher strains more, has a more exagerated limp as time passes

fisher sits in the boat at the tiller, exhausted from the effort, tells will to start rowing. 

[scenes of them casting nets and drawing nets, setting traps for bait and crawfish before resting at noon while the high sun roasts the landscape]

the king looks accross the lake, they're near the dam, and accross there are the remains of a small town that has been burned and looted

the king - how many survived?

the fisher looks up. looks back down

the fisher - maybe a dozen

the king - where are they now?

the fisher - I'm one, my help is another, the rest fled to the larger cities for protection.

the king - why'd you stay?

the fisher - This [gestures to boat] is all I know, and the cities are far too crowded for me to make a living at this. This lake has a good amount of fish, though it's more vulnerable, we make it decently enough