Cursed (2020) s01e01 Episode Script

1
[indistinct whispering]
[metal clanging]
[woman] Where to begin?
With water?
Or with fire?
[eerie ethereal music plays]
[adventurous music plays]
-[horse exhales]
-Whoa, boy. Whoa.
[indistinct whispering]
[birds screeching]
[wind howling]
Come on, Old Boy.
-[indistinct chattering in distance]
-[folk music playing]
[liquid sloshing]
-[horse snorts]
-[boy] Want some?
Squirrel, where did you get that?
Found it.
[chuckles]
[sucks teeth] Bit strong.
But not bad. [chuckles]
Witch.
[Squirrel] Piss off, half-wit!
Are you heading to the pyre?
I wish I could go.
Gods, I forgot the offering.
Mother will kill me.
[light rumbling]
[gentle instrumental music plays]
[fluttering]
[indistinct whispering]
[voice whispering] Save them.
-[wind howling]
-[voice whispering]
[voice whispering] Save them.
[whispering voices overlap]
[whispering intensifies]
[deer exhales]
[voice whispering] Death is not the end,
Fey Queen.
Seek him.
Death is not the end.
Save them.
I don't understand.
Save who?
-[deer groans]
-[gasps]
-No!
-[man laughs]
What did you do?
What do you think, fool? Shot supper.
Don't get too close to this witch,
you'll get the worms.
Even her dad left her.
Papa, please!
Papa, don't go! Come back!
Left his own clan
'cause she scared him off.
[dad] You are cursed, Nimue.
What did you say?
Don't get brave with me, hag.
[wind whooshing]
Get out of my forest.
I'm not afraid of you--
-Get out of my forest!
-[slithering]
-[growling]
-[screaming]
[panicked yelling]
Get it off me! Pull it off!
-[strained gasping]
-Stop.
[man] Help!
[dad] It's in your blood, child.
Let him go!
-[strained gasping]
-Let him go!
Quick!
[gasping]
-I got you.
-[woman] Nimue.
Stop!
-[man] Help!
-Nimue!
Nimue.
-Help!
-Let him go.
-[dad] She brings darkness in the house!
-Papa, don't go!
[dad] We're cursed.
Benum.
What happened?
She did it! She did it! She did it!
[woman 2] Cast her out!
-You will string Benum a new bow.
-It wasn't my fault. It just happened.
I'm sorry, Mother. I couldn't control it.
He will live,
you will make an offering to the family,
I will explain to the Elders.
-I want it to stop. Why won't it stop?
-It will not stop.
No, I hate it!
-It's right what they say about me.
-No.
Never be ashamed of what you are.
They don't call you "demon."
Or "witch."
Did I raise you to suffer fools
or to lead?
Help them understand.
No Sky Folk has ever wielded such power.
Some of us can hear the Hidden--
Are you the High Priestess now
or my mother?
[crackling]
[mom] We will discuss this later.
I don't want to go.
You are my daughter and apprentice,
and you will make your offering.
[fixed]
-[ethereal music plays]
-[strong wind blows]
[mom] As Summoner,
Agatha communed with the Hidden
safeguarded our harvest
and divined the winds.
Let Airimid's Breath push her down
the Great River to the Other World,
where her voice will join
the chorus of our ancestors.
As Sky Folk, we are born in the dawn
-to pass in the twilight.
-[all] to pass in the twilight.
-[indistinct voices whispering]
-[mournful music plays]
The Hidden are with us.
They choose the new Summoner.
[wind howling]
[suspenseful music plays]
[gasping]
[man 1] Not her. No.
No.
No, not her.
-She is marked by Dark Gods.
-[woman] Not her!
-[man 2] It's witchcraft.
-[man 3] Sorcery.
How dare you?
The Hidden have chosen.
Nimue is the new Summoner.
I don't want it.
[dramatic music plays]
I don't want to be your Summoner!
Nimue.
Nimue!
Nimue.
-Nimue!
-Did you enjoy that?
It's not a question of what you want
or what I want.
The will of the Hidden is clear.
The power is a gift and should be used
to guide and serve your kind.
A gift?
It's a curse.
And I don't want to be like you.
And it is very clear
what my kind think of me.
I wonder why.
You do everything in your power
to prove them right.
Nimue.
Well, I relieve you forever
of this burden.
[mom sighs]
[girl] Nimue!
We saw the eclipse.
What's happened?
[sighs] I'm Summoner.
You're what?
It doesn't matter. I'm going.
I'm getting on that ship today.
It's still in Hawksbridge.
What? Nimue, slow down,
you're not making any sense.
They don't want me here,
and I don't want them.
-They can all burn in the nine hells.
-Who? What, the Elders?
Who cares
what those shriveled onions think?
Nimue.
You're not really going.
Pym, I have to.
Oh, my gods, you're acting mad.
I'm riding with you.
[wind howling]
[man] God is love.
It is a love that purifies,
sanctifies, and unites us.
And today,
God smiles.
Do you know why?
Because we've done his work today.
You see,
God created most of us in his image.
This is his garden,
and we must tend his garden.
We must rake the garden
and pull the weeds.
The weeds are the demons,
and we must expel them from his garden.
Do you understand?
But the demons wear many faces.
They don't want to be found.
Some of their faces are scary ones.
Some are shy.
And some
are very young.
[boy screams]
-[screaming]
-[dramatic music plays]
We do his work today.
-[distant yelling]
-[horses whinnying]
[metal clanging]
[yelling]
[panicked screaming]
[horse snorts]
[man] Lenore!
It's a Moon Wing.
[Moon Wing] They came by day as we slept.
The men in red robes.
They burned our trees.
The smoke killed many in their sleep.
Others burned
or fell.
[breathes deeply]
The rest fell
to the steel of the Gray Monk.
-[screeching]
-[strained breathing]
[sobbing]
[ominous music plays]
The one who cries.
-[man] The Red Paladins are moving north.
-And we're right in their path.
We need to send scouts
to get a sense of their numbers.
[man] Will the king do nothing
about this slaughter?
[Lenore] We are on our own.
No friends of the Fey
serve Uther Pendragon.
[indistinct chattering, coughing]
[whispering]
Yeah.
[man sniffs]
I hate wizards.
If he so much as points a finger at me,
you stick him, Hook.
Merlin the Magician?
You owe Lord Gray River 4,000 gold coin.
-Oi!
-[snoring]
[men chuckle]
[man] Bloody hell.
Search his robes.
-[growls]
-[grunts]
A Carpathian king once sent 400 assassins
to claim my head.
Dacians.
[groans]
I burned them all in a lightning storm
that lasted seven whole days.
[Hook struggles]
Tell Lord Gray River
I'm insulted by this paltry show of force.
Or better yet,
I'll send you back as mole rats
-[seething breaths]
-to convey my displeasure?
[Hook groans]
The spell is quite simple.
Chiggur--
No, no, no, no. No. It--
There's no call for that type of thing,
Lord Merlin. But just
Hook.
We're just
Let's go.
[slurping]
[groans]
[gasps]
But you didn't turn them into mole rats,
did you, Merlin?
Maybe the rumors are true, then.
Maybe you really have lost your magic.
[grunts]
[man] At least two dozen Fey villages
have burned at the torch of Father Carden
and the Red Paladins, Your Majesty.
This Carden has his bloody nerve.
[man] Not only nerve, but popular support.
Given the months of drought and famine,
the peasantry now assign most of the blame
for their miseries to Fey witchcraft.
"Most of the blame"?
Well, the rest blame you, sire.
For the drought?
They blame us?
[stuttering]
[king] Merlin.
Perfect timing.
That is debatable, Your Majesty.
[guard] We found him in the cabbages,
sire. Drunk, I'm afraid.
[king] Shocking.
You promised us rain, Merlin.
You promise many things,
and they never seem to happen.
Weather is fickle, my liege.
[king] A classic Merlin answer.
You see, Borley,
Merlin is a conflicted creature.
These are his kind being put to the torch.
Yet
-he seems rather unmoved.
-[slurps]
Well, the Fey Kind are, quite frankly,
better farmers.
So, in times of want,
the mob finds reason to steal their food.
Father Carden and his paladins
are dull vessels for these old hatreds,
and nothing more.
However, if His Majesty would allow it,
the Shadow Lords may be able
to offer some service here.
[king] Shadow Lords?
It's a bit late for your enchanters
to help us now.
Not necessarily.
They can pull certain strings
to slow Carden's march.
There are Shadow Lords
at every level of socie--
[yells] We want rain, Merlin!
To hell with your Shadow Lords.
I will redouble my efforts, Your Majesty.
Yes, do.
[doors slam shut]
[suspenseful music plays]
[distant screeching]
[screeching intensifies]
[groaning]
[frantic feeble tweeting]
[suspenseful music plays]
[Pym] I can't believe you dragged me here.
I've got lye smell all over me.
-[Nimue] No one asked you to come.
-Well, you don't know what you're doing.
[sighs] I do know.
Gawain took the Brass Shield,
the only ship that crosses the sea
to the desert kingdoms.
Because nobody wants to go
to the desert kingdoms,
-which should tell you something.
-I'm getting on it.
[Pym] Nimue, the Hidden chose you.
We all saw the eclipse.
That means you're Summoner.
And it makes sense, with what you can do.
[Nimue] You sound like Mother.
[Pym] At least your mother wants you home.
Mine wants me out.
And this will be her excuse. She'll say,
"Nimue's gone, get on with it."
-She'll marry me off to the fishmonger.
-[Nimue snickers] Stinky Aaron.
It's not funny.
[chuckles] It's kind of funny.
[Pym] What if they find out you're a girl?
[Nimue sighs] I'm cutting my hair.
But what if they find out you're Fey Kind?
They won't.
You'll look after Old Boy?
No, I'll let him starve.
What about money?
-I have 20 silver.
-Well, what if they rob you?
Pym!
[men chatter indistinctly]
[Pym] Look, I don't even see the ship.
-All right? You've made your point.
-No.
It was supposed to be here.
Stop it.
Stop. Stop it.
Excuse me, sir.
-When is the Brass Shield due to arrive?
-She's not going.
Brass Shield left yesterday.
But it It's not supposed to leave
for another week.
Tell that to the easterly winds.
Well, when does it return?
Six months.
Now, do you mind?
Oi!
Those can't stay there.
You guys are not shifting this
fast enough.
[exhales]
[Pym] At least I get to keep you
a bit longer.
Hmm?
Six months.
I know.
I'll be Summoner,
and you marry Stinky Aaron.
Hmm?
[cajolingly] Come on,
your life's not so horrible.
-[sighs]
-Come on.
Come on.
[woman] Out from in there,
you little tyke!
Would you like to buy some of my pies?
Fresh. Just made this very morning.
[Pym] Sorry!
I'm hungry.
Oh, sheep.
[sheep bleating]
Look. Isn't that amazing?
Wow. Look there.
[Pym] Ooh, look.
This is your color.
What do you think about this? I like this.
That doesn't work.
[Pym] Come on, Nimue.
There's music.
[man sings]
With meadows green and skies a-blue ♪
My mistress struck her arrow true ♪
We kissed and danced
'Neath Virgo's eye ♪
As the waxing moon fled from July ♪
Sing high-lolly-lo
Say my fair summer lady ♪
Sing high-lolly-li-summer-hi-lolly-lo ♪
But autumn gusts do blow cold
Summer lady ♪
The swallows fly south from their nests
In the bailey ♪
And the warm, warm wine ♪
[suspenseful music plays]
But along came a maid ♪
With eyes like the ice on the sea ♪
Sing high-lolly-lo
Say my fair winter lady ♪
[crowd applauds]
He fancies you.
Stop it.
[kid] Look at that!
You dropped this, milady.
Do I look like a juggler to you?
Not quite yet, no.
Perfect. [singer chuckles]
I only juggle fire.
Oh, I believe that.
Fancy an ale?
We don't drink with strange men.
What's your name?
I'm Nimue.
-This is Pym.
-Hello.
Well, now we're not strangers.
I'm Arthur.
[jaunty music plays]
[men laughing]
[Pym] It's late.
We should go. As it is,
we'll be riding in the dark. Come on.
Then no point worrying about it, is there?
So
you're not from Hawksbridge.
Where are you from?
[Nimue] Near enough.
And you?
We both know
you're not a professional singer.
That hurts.
Are you a sword for hire?
[sighs] A knight, milady.
What? You don't believe me?
Uh, you just seem a bit young and scruffy
for a knight.
Lads, Arthur's found himself
some nice country girls.
Look at that fine skin.
-Do you girls dance?
-Carry on.
Ah-ah-ah!
May I have a go?
-No. Bad idea.
-What are you doing?
[man] But of course, milady.
You got five silver?
I don't, I'm afraid.
Well
we allow different wagers.
[grunts]
-How about we roll for a kiss?
-Oh, we were just leaving, actually.
-Fine.
-[exhales]
But if I win, I get ten silver.
-You can't win. The dice are weighted.
-Shut your mouth.
Ten? To me
high price indeed.
Just roll seven in any combination.
Three and four, five and two. See?
The odds favor you.
I've just had a rush of dumb luck.
-[dice rattling]
-[slithering]
[gulps, sucks teeth]
[indistinct whispering]
[men laughing raucously]
Roll them again.
Why? I won.
Best two out of three. Seems fair.
-[Nimue] Those weren't the rules.
-Roll again. Don't be daft.
Then it's 20 silver if I win.
[scoffs]
Can you believe this little maid, eh?
You want 20 silver?
[inhales sharply]
Then I want my money's worth as well.
-Deal.
-Nimue, enough.
[exhales slowly]
[indistinct whispering]
[sighs happily]
[breathes heavily]
You witching me?
Why?
Are you afraid of witches?
[groans, grunts]
-Nimue, come on!
-[tense music plays]
[yells] Who the hell is she?
Witch!
Stop the witch!
[Pym] Oops, sorry!
[man] You! You! Girls!
-Oi, stop!
-Witches!
-I said, stop!
-Out of the way!
-[knife slicing]
-[blows]
[Merlin] Dellum the Physician?
Who's asking?
I've heard you're a collector of sorts.
[Dellum] No, you misheard.
I was told to stop doing that,
so everything here is quite above board.
-Sanctioned and all that.
-Pity.
See, I was willing to pay handsomely
for a chance to see
your even more obscure items.
Well, is there anything in particular
you're looking for?
I'm looking for the number three.
You're him, ain't you?
There's mad rumors you work for the king.
-You're Merlin--
-Shh!
Bad things happen
to those who speak my name aloud.
-Do you have what I'm looking for?
-The number three, yes.
I acquired it three days ago,
as a matter of fact.
Born to a peasant family in Shorne.
Don't mind the smell.
Oh, allow me.
[mysterious music plays]
That'll do.
Uh, m-might I inquire
as to the interest in this item?
Three faces, nine doves, 31 magpies,
three-one-one-three, 13.
Magical child.
A new dawn and a great and terrible war.
Thanks--
No.
-[Pym] Who are they?
-I don't know.
[Pym] We have to go faster.
-[horse whinnies]
-[ominous music plays]
What are you doing?
We can't outrun them.
[Old Boy snorts]
[horses whinnying]
[Old Boy grunts]
[horses snorting, grunting]
Shh.
[gasps]
[horses whinnying, snorting]
[Arthur] Shh shh-shh shh.
-There.
-Right.
[man] Ya! Go on!
[hoofbeats receding]
By the way, you dropped this.
You came all this way
just to return a cloak?
And to see you got home safely.
Sorry about the tavern.
You mean your friends, the knights?
-I'm not like Bors.
-What, you're not a mercenary?
I think what she means to say,
though she's clearly mentally incapable
at the moment,
is, "Thank you, that's very nice of you."
You're Fey, aren't you?
I haven't met your kind before.
You don't seem so scary.
Well, that's because
you don't know us very well.
-Witching men in broad daylight.
-We're not witches.
Bors is one thing,
Red Paladins are quite another.
They're burning Fey villages
along the Beggar's Coast.
So, you need to be careful.
Hey, where are you going?
Making camp.
There's a lot of paladins on the road.
I've got fire and good wine.
Well, the wine's awful,
but the company's good.
Any objections?
[Nimue sighs]
[Old Boy grunts]
What are you doing?
[breathing heavily] Stalking.
Have you held a sword before?
I've killed hundreds.
I think I can get closer.
[Nimue grunts]
[chuckles]
Be careful.
-To the death, is it?
-If you're careless.
You're just using the blade.
That's a waste of a good sword.
You talk too much.
A sword is more than a blade.
It's the cross guard.
It's the pommel.
-Legs.
-[grunts]
-Body weight.
-[breathes heavily]
[Arthur groans]
-Head.
-Tavern brawler, eh?
[Nimue] Yah!
[Nimue] Ow.
Yield.
You cheated.
Did I hurt you?
You've lowered your guard.
Your sword is in the grass.
-I won.
-Have you?
[gasps, chuckles]
Is that a cheese knife?
-Yield.
-To you?
Gladly.
[indistinct whispering]
-[gasps]
-Nimue!
[groans]
[gasps]
[panting]
[thunder rumbling]
[suspenseful music plays]
[gasps]
Pym.
Pym, we have to go.
[groans]
-My head.
-[Nimue] Shh. Shh!
It's the wine.
[whispers] Come on.
Hey. Don't wake him.
-[Pym] Go on then. Tell me what happened.
-No. Nothing.
[Pym] Oh, come on.
Did you kiss him? Did he kiss you?
[Nimue] No.
[Pym] Why not? He's gorgeous.
-[sighs] Can we just not talk about this?
-No, we're definitely talking about it.
Does he have onion breath
or something?
No, I had a vision.
All right?
-Was it the real deal?
-[sighs]
Your eyes rolled back and everything?
I don't know.
[Pym] Gods, we've been gone
for nearly two days.
[horse screeching]
Nimue.
[horse whinnies, screeches]
[distant yelling, screaming]
[ominous music plays]
[Nimue] Mother.
[breathing heavily]
-Mother!
-Nimue, no!
[swords clanging]
[Pym screams]
-[high-pitched ringing]
-[gasps]
[screaming]
[grunting]
-[pained screams]
-[horse whinnies]
-Pym!
-Nimue!
-Nimue! Help me!
-Pym.
Help me! No!
Pym!
[Nimue] No!
-Come here.
-No!
-[horse whinnies]
-[Nimue] No!
[man groans]
[Nimue yells in fear]
[men yelling]
[panicked gasping]
No. [panting]
[Nimue screams]
[Nime cries out]
[muted screaming, yelling]
[panicked breathing]
[ominous music plays]
[muted yelling]
[horse grunting]
[panting]
[panicked breathing]
[yelling, screaming]
Come with me.
In here.
Are you hurt?
I can't find Papa.
Squirrel, listen to me.
Go to the Iron Wood
and hide in the Old Man Rock.
Do you understand? Hey, are you listening?
Run like you do in our fox races.
No one can ever catch you.
You'll come for me?
Yeah, I will. I will.
I need to find Pym and Mother first.
I saw your mother near the temple.
They were chasing her.
You'll be faster without it.
Fast as the fox.
Fast as the fox.
[Nimue] Go.
[woman screams]
[Nimue gasps]
[panicked yelling]
-[paladin grunts]
-[Nimue gasps]
[Carden] See this, brothers?
[slithering]
This is why we must be strong.
[groans]
He will take forms
that will tear our hearts.
Look at her.
Such eyes.
[grunts]
Yet infected just the same.
We should give thanks, my brothers,
for this opportunity to show our resolve
in the face of such treachery.
Now give her to the fire.
Reveal its true form.
[Nimue] No no!
-No.
-[paladin groans]
[arrows whizzing by]
Fey archers to the north!
[paladin] Stop!
[Carden] You! After her!
[tense music plays]
Mother?
Mother?
Mother?
-No.
-Nimue.
-I'm sorry.
-[Lenore] Nimue, listen.
-I shouldn't have gone.
-Nimue.
I shouldn't have gone!
-I No, don't.
-Listen to me.
[strained breathing]
Listen to me.
There is something
There is something you must do.
Take this to Merlin.
But we have to run. We have to run.
No. This is your charge.
It's all that matters now.
Bring this to Merlin.
[sobs]
[metal scraping]
[panicked breathing]
Run, Nimue.
-No
-Run.
No. No, I won't leave you. No!
-No!
-I love you more than anything.
Mother.
[groans]
[pained yelling]
[groans]
-No!
-[thunder cracks]
[Lenore] Go!
Run!
[strangled sobbing]
[thunder cracking]
Hold the rod.
Are we
are we sure it's safe up here, sir?
Take it outside.
Outside?
-[yells] Outside!
-Is that a good idea?
Hold it up!
Aim it at the clouds!
Feet on the metal!
Why? What's gonna happen?
This is madness!
-Wait.
-No, please.
Oh, gods.
[indistinct chattering, laughter]
The heavens have opened, my friends.
Rejoice!
The drought is ended.
-To the king!
-Uther!
We do not drink to the rain.
We drink it.
-[man] Hail
-[all] Hail Uther!
[woman gasps]
[all gasp]
What?
What is this?
What trick is this?
[women scream]
That is the rain
that fell upon the castle.
Merlin.
[yells] Merlin!
[distant howling]
[wolves barking, growling]
[wolves whining, howling]
[wolves snarling]
[wolves howling]
[barking]
-[snarling]
-[gasps] No!
[yowls]
[snarling]
[Merlin yells]
[gasps]
[groans]
[snarling]
[barking]
[snarling, barking]
[mystical tinkling]
[gasping]
[gasping]
[mystical tinkling]
[dramatic music plays]
[Lenore] Fight, Nimue.
[barking, snarling]
[Nimue grunts]
[screeching]
[barking, snarling]
[eerie ethereal music plays]
[music ends]