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Screenplay Translation by Stan Blumenthal DEREK JACOBI as Brother Cadfael THE VIRGIN IN THE ICE SCREENPLAY BY RUSSELL LEWIS C A S T L I S T DEREK JACOBI...........................Brother Cadfael ACT ONE EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - NIGHT WOMAN I can't go on Brother Oswin. OSWIN You can! You must! Here! Take my cloak, Sister Hilaria! On a MED CLOSE we see Oswin sees something in the distance. From his POV we see its a shanty or shelter of some kind. OSWIN Look Sister! Look! Shelter! The storm winds howl as they make their way to it. FADE CUT TO: INT. SHELTER - SAME NIGHT HILARIA You are cold, Brother. She gets closer. HILARIA (continues) Hold me close...for warmth. We must huddle together or we will perish. CLOSE SHOT on them both...Oswin is visibly reluctant for itgoes against his vows as a monk. CUT TO: CADFAEL Where are you...Oswin. Where are you. The monk turns and heads back to the Abbey. EXT. THE WOODED AREA - SAME NIGHT OSWIN Oh God! Father forgive me! I meant no---I meant no evil! He crosses himself and then he notices he is not alone. A dozenhorsemen have come upon him. He looks at the LEADER...a mandressed in a white raiment and wearing a gray fur cap. LEADER A fine evening...brother. INT. ABBEY SANCTUARY - THAT NIGHT A YOUNG MONK carries a lit candle, as the other BROTHER MONKS chant. CUT TO: BACK TO ABBEY SCENE BACK TO WOODED SCENE BACK AT THE ABBEY BACK TO THE WOODED SCENE LEADER Go with God. BACK AT THE ABBEY - MED. CLOSE ON CADFAEL BACK AT THE WOODS EXT. THE TOWN OF SHREWSBURY - DAY INT. FATHER ABBOTT'S OFFICE - DAY FATHER ABBOTT My dear Lord Beringer . We received word today of Sub Pryor of Worchester Hurwood... Brother Prior? BROTHER PRIOR Yes...he asks after two children...they're orphans in his keeping. After the town was attacked by the Empress Maud---he sent them here. FATHER ABBOTT (OFF CAMERA) Many refugees were sent here, to find safe haven from the war. LORD BERINGER But not this band. FATHER ABBOTT Uh--No. Brother Cadfael, you inquired
among the wounded in the infirmary? CADFAEL Oh yes---father---even among the more recent
arrivals, but there was no report of them on the road. PRIOR Ah--brother and sister of noble birth. Eve and Ermina Hugamen. FATHER ABBOTT Their uncle begs your leave, to enter Shropshire ...so that he may search for them. BERINGER Why should he need my leave? CADFAEL Because--uh-He supports the Empress Maud. In
her claim to the throne. BERINGER Abbott Radalphus! I was appointed Under Sherriff here, by King Stephen to keep his land free of her troops! CADFAEL He gives his word that he will pursue no other end, than to look for the children. MED. TWO SHOT ON PRIOR AND RADALFUS. PRIOR The man was a knight...my lord. RADALFUS A crusader! Late from the war in the Holy Land. BERINGER Crusader or not I can not allow His Grace's enemies to roam around the land! A YOUNG MONK RUSHES IN. YOUNG MONK Father Come quickly...Brother Oswin has been found! He's dying! They all quickly leave the office. EXT. ABBEY COURTYARD FATHER ABBOTT Where did you come upon him? OLD MAN Found him at first light...by Cleve Forest. I was out after some lost sheep, otherwise-- CADFAEL He needs warmth! He'll never wake-- Get the
hospitalir to heat some stones We must get him to the infirmary!
Quickly! Quickly! INT. THE INFIRMARY OLD MAN I tried him with wine, but his mouth is broken. CADFAEL No..No..No. His wits were battered into confusion, but by God's Grace he's here---he's whole. ON YOUNG MONK YOUNG MONK Perhaps he should be bled? ON CADFAEL CADFAEL He's bled enough as it is.Knife wound was meant to finish him...glanced off his ribs...they didn't wait around to see if he was dead. ON PRIOR ROBERT PRIOR They---brother? CADFAEL At least three---two of them held his arms...here...and here. Then the third----stabbed him. ON BERINGER /MONK BERINGER What was he doing so far off from home? YOUNG MONK He was delivering medicine to one of Abbey holdings. BERINGER That's a strange route...he shouldn't have been anywhere near Cleve Forest. ON PRIOR/ABBOTT PRIOR Such a thing should happen. So close to the Christmas Feast! RADALFUS Do what you can for him, brother! Come! Let us pray for Brother Oswin. The Monks and Beringer leave....The younger monk stays with Cadfael, who is dabbing at the wounds on the face of Brother Oswin. He sees something in Oswin's hair...and picks it out. CADFAEL (to himself) Clover! He turns to see the young monk folding his hands and with eyesclosed starting to pray. CADFAEL (irritated) Brother Jerome? What are you doing? JEROME Praying...for our dear Brother. CADFAEL (angry) When we have cleaned and dressed his wounds' ...then you may pray...and not before! Suddenly Oswin lets out a yelp and fighting at Cadfael who has a hold of his flaying arms. Jerome seems startled. CADFAEL Easy! Easy! Now...your home...safe! Oswin in his hysteria yells out the nun's name "Hilaria!" Jerome seems to act like he knows the name. Oswin continues with..."She was--was so warm!....so beautiful!" He passes out. Cadfael slowly turns and looks at Jerome. CADFAEL (off camera) You will pay no heed to what he says when he is in this condition. JEROME He talks of kisses...holding a woman in his arms! Such things are forbidden by our order! CADFAEL I have told you! He's not himself...now be content! Jerome looks visibly disturbed. CUT TO: BERINGER Will he live? CADFAEL I have done all I can. But if his will is broken---? BERINGER Christ God, Cadfael? What kind of man would do such a thing? CADFAEL The kind that kills for sport...or pleasure! What if this should happen upon our two orphans? Lost on the road! Cadfael puts the rag with poltace down on the table and
looks directly at Beringer . BERINGER They left Uster alone. CADFAEL No. There was--uh--a young nun with them. A
Sister Hilaria. (he gets up) She was cuter as a girl. BERINGER Well---She'd be recognized by her habit. What about the others? CADFAEL Well! The boy was twelve---middle heigth for his age--the sister Ameena is fifteen--uh--fair like her brother. The Sub-Pryor reckoned she could be very beautiful. Beringer turns back to Cadfael a full smile on his face. CADFAEL (continues) Even Sub Pryor's know beauty when they see it. He returns to the table with a bowl. CADFAEL You must let their uncle look for them. BERINGER I will not admit the Empress nigh and I administer to the King. CADFAEL But they are just children, Hugh. Are they to be left out there unlooked for? BERINGER Did I say that? We leave at dawn. Cadfael lifts the rag a look of satisfacation on his face. CADFAEL We? BERINGER You know this land better than any man, even under snow. EXT. PARTLY CLOUDED SKY - DAWN CADFAEL He's been dead some days. DEPUTY (off camera) Three more here. Cadfael gets up and walks over to the other bodies. DEPUTY Killed by the bandits that got Brother Oswin...dontchya think? They could of passed by this way. CADFAEL Certainly. Drew's Farm is just a few miles off...what were they doing here? BERINGER Cadfael? (he holds up a garment) Crusader's cabit my lord! CADFAEL Brother Rudolphus said the children's uncle was a Crusader...newly returned from Jerusalem. It would seem he sent a rescue party after all. Would you have done less if they were your blood? They came here with good cause, Hugh. Cadfael lays the cabit over the bodies. He gets up and walksback to the horses. Beringer and the Deputy follow as we PAN DOWN to look one last time at the bodies. EXT. ALONG THE WOODED ROAD - LATER ON IN THE DAY BERINGER The children's uncle too recently from the Crusades...ya know? CADFAEL Twenty six years since I sailed from St. Chamille and left the Holy Land behind. Everything there would be changed there... everything. Even in Antioch where a certain young widow lived. BERINGER The street of the sailmakers...Miriam? CADFAEL Mariam was a life time ago. Eighteen I was...just a boy. BERINGER And a seasoned soldier at thirty when you returned. As I recall she graced both your arrival and your departure. Cadfael begins sniffing. CADFAEL Oh she did...oh she did. What would a good farmer like Master Gould would be burning this time a year? They all ride hard to a burnt out shanty. The Deputy goes infirst followed by Beringer and CadfaeL. The SECOND DEPUTY tends to the horses. BERINGER This was Brother Oswin's destination. FIRST DEPUTY No did the point here...'cept the dogs. CADFAEL Bandits looting wild, wouldn't bother with captives...kill yes...but no captives ...not of this simple sort. From their POV we see several men coming up on them, swordsdrawn...Beringer and his deputies do likewise. YOUNG LEADER Who comes upon us with arms? BERINGER Hugh Beringer ...I am the sherriff of this shire and these are my men...and Brother Cadfael from Shrewsbury. YOUNG LEADER John Druel my lord. At yer service. Beringer puts his sword back in the sheath. JOHN DRUEL Forgive the welcome...I took you for outlaws. BERINGER When did they come? JOHN DRUEL Four nights ago. A dozen of them... Maybe more...We could not stand...only run....they took my stock, but we escaped with our lives...praise God and hounds. BERINGER You have no notion who these bandits might be...or from where? DRUEL None...but it seems to me they was dressed as soldiers of the cross. He walks past Cadfael and Beringer . Cadfael turns to him. CADFAEL Master Drew? Did my novice Brother Oswin come by this way? DRUEL He did...the day after the attack...he delivered the medicine then was on his way again...quick as he could go. CADFAEL He left for Shrewsbury? DRUEL No...Brother. Having seen what we've suffered, he was anxious for some people he met along the way...a party in flight from Wuster. CADFAEL Wuster! You sure? DRUEL 'E had er with them. So he could guide them to Shrewsbury...but they would push on for a man that they knew. CADFAEL The alterin did say who is in this company...of a boy and girl traveling with a nun? DRUEL "E didn't no...But a stranger came by yesterday...asking of such a party. BERINGER What he is like this stranger? DRUEL Not so much as thb>irty..nearer five and six and Twenty I'd say..shorter than your lower chip and uh dark skinned. BERINGER Should you hear more of him or the children...send me word at Shrewsbury. Cadfael and all go past Drew and his men and head to their horses. The group is now on their horses heading back to the road. BACK TO SCENE DRUEL My Lord? (they stop and listen) I can tell ya something more about the dark man...he calls himself a woodsman. He kept this cloak about him...tis cold no marvel... but....as he went I saw in the folds out of sight...woodsman or no...he wore a sword. Cadfael and Beringer look at each other. EXT. A WOODED AREA - SAME DAY CADFAEL To make most of the remaining light, we should seperate and search alone. BERINGER What about bandits? CADFAEL They are such that hunt by night... By some miracle the children escaped them, we cannot wait! We seperate we can cover twice the ground. The man looks on at the ready. But as they pass by he sheathes his sword. INT. THE ABBEY - SAME DAY, SAME MOMENT Brother Pryor and Brother Jerome are walking through the portico on the outside...snow covers the square. PRYOR Are you certain of this brother? JEROME Not certain, but Brother Oswin has called out her name. Has spoken of lying in her arms...a mortal sin! PRYOR Ravings...it could be nothing more than his fever. JEROME Indeed...but what if they aren't? PRYOR What else could they be? JEROME Remembrances. They stop as another MONK pushes between them. PRYOR Tell know one of this...at the present. But keep close watch on him brother! EXT. THE WOODED AREA...NEAR A STREAM - LATE AFTERNOON CADFAEL Heeup! That's all right! That's all right! I'm Brother Cadfael of Shrewsbury. I'm no threat to you or to any. YOUNG LAD How do you know me? CADFAEL Your being sought throughout the Shire, boy! Where is your sister and the tutor? YOUNG LAD Lost. (Cadfael comes to him) I don't
know. We came safe to Richard's Manner (he begins to cry)
..Bandits attacked... Cadfael takes his cloak off and wraps it around the shoulders of the boy. CADFAEL Here! Take my cloak...we got to get you back to Shrewsbury! He then leads him to his horse. YOUNG LAD Meena...We must find Meena CADFAEL We must get you home...with any luck, Hugh Beringer might have found your sister. The ice is thick and Cadfael gently leads the horse across a patch of it. CADFAEL This should hold us well enough. He grabs the halter and walks the horse across the ice,
whistling...suddenly...he notices something near the bank. CADFAEL Wait here for me boy! He then goes back to see the body of the young nun. He bends down to wipe the snow off the sheet of ice covering her body. Cadfael has a look of horrifying recogniton on his face. He then turns and looks up at the puzzled look on the boy's face. Then back to the body. The boy watches as Cadfael comes up to the horse. YOUNG LAD Is anything wrong? CADFAEL No! No! No! I thought it was a sheep caught in the ice--uh--I was mistaken. Cadfael takes the reigns and leads the boy and the horse away. EXT. SHREWSBURY ABBEY - THE STAIRWAY -NIGHT BERINGER Where was he? CAMERA on Cadfael. CADFAEL Lost. In Cleve Forest. BERINGER ..And the sister? BACK TO BODY IN THE ICE. CADFAEL Watch where you strike. He lifts the pick and lets it fall. CLOSE on the pick as it hits the ice. EXT. GATE AT SHREWSBURY ABBEY INT. THE INFIRMARY - SAME NIGHT BERINGER Sub Pryor Herbert was right...Lady Ermina was beautiful. He walks past Cadfael and looks down. WE SEE the face in the melting ice. INT. ABBEY SANCTUARY BACK TO INFIRMARY SCENE Cadfael picks something out of her clutched hand. CADFAEL Straw...and Clover. BERINGER Stabbed? Cadfael carefully lifts the garment to see. CADFAEL Hmmm...There is no wound. It's likely she fought him off...or them! Such vermin hunt happiest in packs... perhaps she drew blood. Clawed face and hand as she tried to force them away. BERINGER She's starting to bruise. CADFAEL Her neck was unmarked, so she wasn't strangled...Look here...the discoloration around her lips and chin. (He puts his hand over the mouth) Smothered....surely. And she was defiled. JEROME Defiled...brother? Someone enters back stage...it is the boy. YOUNG LAD Brother Cadfael? The Monks turn to him and go to try to keep him from viewing his dead sister. RADALFUS Brother Cadfael will come out to you in a short while...go to the guest house and wait for him. Cadfael comes around by Beringer . CADFAEL No Father...Let him come! PRYOR He must not! CADFAEL He's a senseable boy..there is no need to pretend to him that violence and cruelty doesn't exist. He takes the boy by the arm and escorts him to the body. CADFAEL (continues) Yves?Now we have here...a dead body. Not known to any of us. Now will you look and tell us if you know this face? JEROME Brother Cadfael! For shame! From the boy's POV we go past Jerome and see the body in repose. CADFAEL There is nothing to fear. YVES looks down on the body. YVES 'Ow can she be here...she's dead. She was with Brother Oswin! Cadfael holds his arm. YVES She was Hilaria...who came with us from Wuster. Cadfael looks at Beringer . CADFAEL And where is your sister? Ermina? EXT. WOODED SCENE - NIGHT Armina is being chased by horseman on a road in the woods when a dark clad stranger stops her and quickly ducks her behind some underbrush and trees as the riders ride past. The STRANGER takes his mask off and gestures for her to be quiet...ERMINA complies. EXT. COURTYARD AT SHREWSBURY - NIGHT YVES (off camera) We ran into Brother Oswin on the road to Shrewsbury........................ INT. FATHER ABBOTT'S OFFICE - NIGHT ......We stopped at Drew's Farm and asked him if we could travel with him. FATHER ABBOTT walks passed the boy looking at him. ...that he would bring us home after. FATHER ABBOTT Why didn't you accept his offer? YVES I wanted to...and so did Sister Hilaria, but..Ermina was determined to press on to Richard's Manor. FATHER ABBOTT Richard? CADFAEL Richard Bottrell, father...Ermina's intended husband. YVES It's what she wanted all along! She only agreed to leave Wuster, so that she could go to him. She said we would be safe there. BERINGER Then what happended? YVES We reached his manor and there was much celebration. At Ermina's urging Richard sent out his Steward to fetch a priest so that they could be married the next day. FATHER ABBOTT All was well at this time? YVES It was Father. But about an hour later, we were awoken by a hammering on the door. CADFAEL Brother Oswin? YVES Heaven knows how he found us in the storm...he came to warn us. Praise God that he did...for within minutes the bandits attacked. CADFAEL Did you see what became of your sister? YVES Richard...I think...got her away. But with the fire and the fighting....I ran ...we all ran! But---we got lost from each other. CADFAEL ..And Sister Hilaria? YVES The last I saw---she was heading for the trees with Brother Oswin. Cadfael looks over to Father Abbott Rudolphus, who looks down and folds his hands in a prayer-like gesture. INT. THE INFIRMIRARY - SAME NIGHT YVES (off camera) I prayed (beginning to cry)...That Sister Hilaria and Brother Oswin had escaped....(he breaks down) Cadfael has his arm around the boy and gives his a reassuring hug. CADFAEL There's no shame in tears, when they're worth the shedding. Has none of us grieved for him. Oswin is the gentlest of souls...(He bends down to Oswin) No threat...no harm to any. YVES STOPS SOBBING FOR A LITTLE BIT. YVES Has he said what happened? CADFAEL No. He hasn't woken yet. But his wounds are healing (to Yves) & he strengthens daily. (takes Yves and turns him away.) Come...you've seen him now. They turn to leave...CLOSE ON OSWIN still comatose. INT. CADFAEL'S QUARTERS BERINGER The plague needs burning, before it spreads...Cadfael. Cadfael takes something out of the book and walks to the table. BERINGER (continues) We must find their hiding place. CADFAEL It's wild country...enough hiding places for a thousand bandits...Let's see (UNFOLDS MAP)...I drew this map, to locate position of various herbs in the area...but...I hope it will serve our purpose (CLOSE ON THE MAP) He begins to mark on the map with a charcoal type pencil. .....Here's Drew's holding....Bottrell's manor ...the field where we found the rescue party...and Cleve Forest where Oswin was found. The dots form a perfect square. ...and here is where I found Sister Hilaria. BERINGER Tis a fair distance from the frozen brook and Cleve Forest where Oswin was found. Why would that be so, if they ran together? CADFAEL Oh...Hilaria wasn't killed where she was found...she died elsewhere. Somewhere where there was a stack of straw...and clover. BERINGER 'ave been better suited for their vial sport.
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