Erik the Viking Page #5

Freya doesn't reply. Instead she walks to the mouth of the cave. Erik follows her. They look out at the grey, desolate landscape. Nothing but arctic wastes, snow and desolation. Above them the black clouds boil ceaselessly.

FREYA:

What do you see, Erik?

ERIK:

I see the world.

FREYA:

I it night or day, Erik?

ERIK:

It is day, of course, Freya.

FREYA:

Is it summer or winter, Erik?

Erik looks round at the snowy wastes and ten back at Freya, puzzled.

ERIK:

The winter is past, thank goodness, Freya. It is summer.

Freya puts her face close to Erik's and peers into his eyes.

FREYA:

Have you ever seen the sun, Erik?

ERIK:

The sun is up beyond the clouds - where it always is.

FREYA:

But have you ever seen it? Think back...

ERIK:

Of course not... but... when I was a child.... I remember a dream.... it was as if the whole sky was blue...

FREYA:

The sky WAS blue, Erik... once.

Erik looks at her.

FREYA:

The Old Stories tell of an age that would come such as this - when Fenrir the Wolf would swallow the sun, and a Great Winter would settle upon the world. It was to be an axe age, a sword age, a storm age, when brother would turn against brother, and men would fight each other until the world would finally be destroyed.

Erik looks out across the bleak and gloomy landscape and the black, boiling clouds in the sky.

ERIK:

(almost to himself)

Then... this is the Age of Ragnarok?

Freya turns to go back into the cave.

ERIK:

Wait, Freya!

Erik re-enters the cave.

ERIK:

Is there nothing men can do?

FREYA:

The Gods are asleep, Erik.

ERIK:

I will go and wake them up!

Freya turns and looks at him. She clearly enjoys his earnest enthusiasm, but is afraid he doesn't know what he is talking about.

ERIK:

Tell me what I must do, Freya!

Freya thinks for some moments. The she speaks.

FREYA:

Erik... Far out in the midst of the Western Ocean there is a land... men call it Hy-Brasil. There you will find a horn that is called Resounding. You must take the Horn Resounding, and three times you must blow it. The first note will take you to Asgaard. The second will awaken the Gods, and the third note will bring you home. But remember... once you are in the spell of the Horn, hatred will destroy you.

Erik turns to go and then hesitates.

ERIK:

And will the dead ever return, Freya?

FREYA:

That I cannot tell you.

Cut to a big close-up of a head being banged on the ground. It is Thorfinn Skull-Splitter's. The person doing the banging is an enraged Sven the Berserk. Suddenly Erik pushes his way through the crowd and separates them. There is general disgruntlement all round, and murmurs of: "Who does he think he is?"

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