BARNARDO and FRANCISCO, two guards, enter.
BARNARDO
Who's there?
FRANCISCO
No, who are you? Stop and identify yourself.
BARNARDO
Long live the Jarl of Whiteru!
FRANCISCO
Is that Barnardo?
BARNARDO
Yes, it's me.
FRANCISCO
You've come right on time.
BARNARDO
The moon is at its highest point. Go home to bed, Francisco.
FRANCISCO
Thanks for letting me go. It's bitterly cold out, and I'm tired.
BARNARDO
Has anything happend?
FRANCISCO
Not a single thing. My cousin's out fighting dragons, and what do I get? Guard duty!
BARNARDO
Guard duty is very important or else dragons could attack and If you happen to see Horatio and Marcellus, who are supposed to stand guard with me tonight, tell them to hurry.
FRANCISCO
I think I hear them. —Stop! Who's there?
MARCELLUS and HORATIO enter.
HORATIO
Guards of Whiterun.
MARCELLUS
And servants of the Jarl.
FRANCISCO
Good night to you both.
MARCELLUS
Good-bye. Who's taken over the watch for you?
FRANCISCO
Barnardo's taken my place. Good night.
FRANCISCO exits.
MARCELLUS
Hello, Barnardo.
BARNARDO
Hello. Is Horatio here too?
HORATIO
More or less.
BARNARDO
Oh hi didn't see you there.
MARCELLUS
So, tell us, did you see that thing again tonight?
BARNARDO
Not tonight.
MARCELLUS
Horatio says we're imagining it, Late last night we saw a ghost but unlike most ghost it had a more human shape and it was walking around the border of the town.
HORATIO
Oh, nonsense. If there was a ghost the court mage would have taken care of it.
BARNARDO
Pff that mage couldn't spell his way out of a cauldron, Listen and i will tell you about the ghost that we have seen for the past 2 nights.
HORATIO
Fine I'll listen.
BARNARDO
Last night, Whe the moon just past its highest point, at bout one o'clock, Marcellus and I—
The GHOST enters.
MARCELLUS
Quiet, shut up! It's come again.
BARNARDO
Looking just like the dead Jarl.
MARCELLUS
(to HORATIO) You're smart, Horatio. Say something to it.
BARNARDO
Doesn't he look like the Jarl, Horatio?
HORATIO
Very much so. It's terrifying.
BARNARDO
It wants us to speak to it.
MARCELLUS
Ask it something, Horatio.
HORATIO
What are you doing out here at this time and why do you look like the dead Jarl?
MARCELLUS
It looks like you've offended it.
BARNARDO
Look, it's going away.
HORATIO
Stay! Speak! Speak! I order you, speak!
The GHOST exits.
MARCELLUS
It's gone. It won't answer now.
BARNARDO
What's going on, Horatio? You're pale and trembling. You agree now that we're not imagining this, don't you? What do you think about it?
HORATIO
By the gods, I don't know what to say...
MARCELLUS
Doesn't it look like the Jarl?
HORATIO
Yes, as much as you look like yourself. The king was wearing exactly this armor when he fought the elfs in the Aldmeri Dominion. And the ghost frowned just like the king did once when he attacked those dragons. It's weird.
MARCELLUS
It's happened like this twice before, always at this exact time. He stalks by us at our post like a warrior.
HORATIO
I don't know exactly how to explain this, but I have a general feeling this means bad news for Skyrim.
MARCELLUS
With the civil war and the dragon's coming back i don't see how it could get much worse!
HORATIO
If i wasn't for the dragons and the war we wouldn't have as many shifts as we do now.
BARNARDO
The dead Jarl Hamlet must be here cause of it i know it .
HORATIO
The ghost is definitely something to worry about. Its the oblivion crisies all over agian this time it starts in Skyrim!
(The GHOST enters.)
Wait, look! It has come again. I'll meet it if it's the last thing I do. —Tell me what you want you undead monster!
(The GHOST spreads his arms.)
Say something!
Talk to me and i could help you truly lay to rest
(A torch is lit in the town.)
Keep it from leaving, Marcellus.
MARCELLUS
Should I strike it with my sword?
HORATIO
No, steel cant harm ghost.
BARNARDO
It's over here.
HORATIO
There it is.
The GHOST exits.
MARCELLUS
It's gone. We were wrong to threaten it with violence, since it looks so much like the Jarl. Besides, we can't hurt it anymore than we can hurt the air. Our attack was stupid, futile, and wicked.
BARNARDO
It was about to say something when the light when on.
HORATIO
And then it acted startled, like a guilty person caught by the law. This must be why we never see ghost leave the caves.
HORATIO
Yes, I've heard the same thing and sort of believe it. But look, morning is breaking beyond that hill in the east, turning the sky red. Let's interrupt our watch and go tell the jarls step son Hamlet what we've seen tonight. I'm sure this ghost that's so silent with us will speak to him. Don't you agree that we owe it to him to tell him about this?
MARCELLUS
Let's do it. I know where we'll find him this morning.
They exit.
