Now I Don't Have to Try

Ron Ferguson

Tammy Burns

Ron Ferguson

ballad, east-west frontier

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[INTRO — INTIMATE FRONTIER | slow 6/8 ~74 BPM | DREADNOUGHT | sparse TELECASTER | distant SHAMISEN]
[FEMALE LOW ALTO — third-person narrator throughout]
[VERSE 1 — THE LIGHT]
Sarah passed her sister's doorway
Late enough the house was still.
Saw a line of lantern yellow
Lying underneath the sill.
She didn't knock.
They never had.
Not when they were girls at home.
She opened up the door—
Then stopped.
Mara sat beside the bed,
Sorting everything she'd carried.
And apparently that bedroll
Held considerably more than Sarah thought.
[VERSE 2 — THE BEDROLL]
[SHAMISEN: 1–♭3–4–5–♭7]
Wayblade first.
Sarah knew that one.
Then four small throwing knives.
A battered gun beside them—
The one Mara somehow still possessed.
A little box of powders,
Brushes, pigments, pins for hair.
Then a cloth roll opened carefully.
Sturdy bottles nested there.
Roots.
Leaves.
Powders.
Dried flowers.
Labels Sarah couldn't read.
Mara looked up.
Saw her staring.
Saw the questions forming.
Then said:
“I ran from the Seven Counties
just trying to survive.”
[PAUSE]
“Now I don't have to try.”
[VERSE 3 — WHERE DID YOU GO?]
Sarah closed the door behind her.
“What happened to you?”
“A lot.”
“Mara.”
Mara sighed.
“Belle Rive.
Then a ship.
Then somewhere nobody knew my name.”
“And the sword?”
“Wayblade.”
“Fine. The wayblade.”
“A teacher gave it to me.”
“You had a teacher?”
“For a while.”
Sarah pointed toward the knives.
“And those?”
“Also teaching.”
The bottles.
“Those?”
Mara smiled slightly.
“Different teacher.”
Sarah stared at the makeup box.
Mara:
“You'd be surprised what people don't see
when they think they know who they're looking at.”
Sarah wasn't sure she wanted to ask more.
[VERSE 4 — FRYE]
[TELECASTER: ♭5→5]
Her eyes returned to the wayblade.
One thrust.
Frye's bedroom.
The wound beneath his jaw.
Mara noticed.
“So.”
Sarah folded her arms.
“Frye.”
Mara kept arranging bottles.
“What about him?”
“You killed him.”
Mara considered denying it.
Didn't bother.
“Yes.”
“The cistern?”
Mara looked up.
“Yes.”
Sarah stared at her.
“You poisoned an entire garrison.”
“I made them sick.”
“Men died.”
“Fewer than would've died taking that ranch.”
Sarah opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
Because she had counted those numbers herself.
[VERSE 5 — SISTERS]
[WARM DREADNOUGHT]
“You could have told me you were alive.”
“I didn't know you were free.”
“You could have found out.”
“I did.”
“By sneaking into Frye Ranch?”
Mara shrugged.
“I was already in the neighborhood.”
Sarah tried very hard to stay angry.
Failed slightly.
Then looked again at everything on the bed.
“Who are you?”
That wiped away Mara's smile.
For a moment she looked younger.
Almost the sister Sarah remembered.
“I don't know.”
Sarah sat beside her.
“Fair.”
Mara looked over.
“And you?”
Sarah laughed softly.
“Also fair.”
[CHORUS]
One learned armies.
One learned shadows.
One learned how to hold the line.
One learned every locked-up doorway
Has another way inside.
They'd left home as Winter daughters.
They came back something more.
Neither quite the girl her sister
Remembered from before.
[VERSE 6 — THE GUN]
Sarah picked up the revolver.
“This?”
Mara smiled.
“Stole it.”
“From?”
“A drunk cowboy.”
“Why?”
“He had a gun.”
Sarah waited.
Mara waited back.
Finally Sarah said,
“That's your entire explanation?”
“It seemed sufficient at the time.”
Sarah laughed.
This time she couldn't stop it.
Mara joined her.
For half a minute,
They were girls again.
[VERSE 7 — WHAT SARAH SEES]
[SHAMISEN + TELECASTER INTERWEAVE]
Then Sarah looked at her sister.
Really looked.
The sandals.
Foreign blade.
Unknown writing.
Little bottles.
Hidden knives.
A face that could become another face
With pigments from a box.
Mara had crossed half the world alone
And somehow crossed it back.
Sarah commanded thousands.
Mara needed none.
Sarah finally said,
“You scare me a little.”
Mara looked genuinely pleased.
“Good.”
Sarah shoved her shoulder.
“Idiot.”
Mara shoved her back.
“Sister.”
[OUTRO]
Sarah stood to leave.
At the doorway Mara called,
“Sarah?”
She turned.
“I missed you.”
Sarah's expression softened.
“You could've led with that.”
“I was busy showing off.”
“Obviously.”
Sarah closed the door.
Then opened it again.
“And Mara?”
“Yeah?”
“Next time you assassinate someone
besieged by my army—tell me.”
Mara thought about it.
“I'll consider it.”
Sarah:
“Mara.”
“Fine.”
[PAUSE]
“Probably.”
[DOOR CLOSES]
Mara smiled,
Went back to packing things
Sarah very deliberately
Had decided not to ask about.
[CUT]

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[INTRO — INTIMATE FRONTIER | slow 6/8 ~74 BPM | DREADNOUGHT | sparse TELECASTER | distant SHAMISEN] [FEMALE LOW ALTO — third-person narrator throughout] [VERSE 1 — THE LIGHT] Sarah passed her sister's doorway Late enough the house was still. Saw a line of lantern yellow Lying underneath the sill. She didn't knock. They never had. Not when they were girls at home. She opened up the door— Then stopped. Mara sat beside the bed, Sorting everything she'd carried. And apparently that bedroll Held considerably more than Sarah thought. [VERSE 2 — THE BEDROLL] [SHAMISEN: 1–♭3–4–5–♭7] Wayblade first. Sarah knew that one. Then four small throwing knives. A battered gun beside them— The one Mara somehow still possessed. A little box of powders, Brushes, pigments, pins for hair. Then a cloth roll opened carefully. Sturdy bottles nested there. Roots. Leaves. Powders. Dried flowers. Labels Sarah couldn't read. Mara looked up. Saw her staring. Saw the questions forming. Then said: “I ran from the Seven Counties just trying to survive.” [PAUSE] “Now I don't have to try.” [VERSE 3 — WHERE DID YOU GO?] Sarah closed the door behind her. “What happened to you?” “A lot.” “Mara.” Mara sighed. “Belle Rive. Then a ship. Then somewhere nobody knew my name.” “And the sword?” “Wayblade.” “Fine. The wayblade.” “A teacher gave it to me.” “You had a teacher?” “For a while.” Sarah pointed toward the knives. “And those?” “Also teaching.” The bottles. “Those?” Mara smiled slightly. “Different teacher.” Sarah stared at the makeup box. Mara: “You'd be surprised what people don't see when they think they know who they're looking at.” Sarah wasn't sure she wanted to ask more. [VERSE 4 — FRYE] [TELECASTER: ♭5→5] Her eyes returned to the wayblade. One thrust. Frye's bedroom. The wound beneath his jaw. Mara noticed. “So.” Sarah folded her arms. “Frye.” Mara kept arranging bottles. “What about him?” “You killed him.” Mara considered denying it. Didn't bother. “Yes.” “The cistern?” Mara looked up. “Yes.” Sarah stared at her. “You poisoned an entire garrison.” “I made them sick.” “Men died.” “Fewer than would've died taking that ranch.” Sarah opened her mouth. Then stopped. Because she had counted those numbers herself. [VERSE 5 — SISTERS] [WARM DREADNOUGHT] “You could have told me you were alive.” “I didn't know you were free.” “You could have found out.” “I did.” “By sneaking into Frye Ranch?” Mara shrugged. “I was already in the neighborhood.” Sarah tried very hard to stay angry. Failed slightly. Then looked again at everything on the bed. “Who are you?” That wiped away Mara's smile. For a moment she looked younger. Almost the sister Sarah remembered. “I don't know.” Sarah sat beside her. “Fair.” Mara looked over. “And you?” Sarah laughed softly. “Also fair.” [CHORUS] One learned armies. One learned shadows. One learned how to hold the line. One learned every locked-up doorway Has another way inside. They'd left home as Winter daughters. They came back something more. Neither quite the girl her sister Remembered from before. [VERSE 6 — THE GUN] Sarah picked up the revolver. “This?” Mara smiled. “Stole it.” “From?” “A drunk cowboy.” “Why?” “He had a gun.” Sarah waited. Mara waited back. Finally Sarah said, “That's your entire explanation?” “It seemed sufficient at the time.” Sarah laughed. This time she couldn't stop it. Mara joined her. For half a minute, They were girls again. [VERSE 7 — WHAT SARAH SEES] [SHAMISEN + TELECASTER INTERWEAVE] Then Sarah looked at her sister. Really looked. The sandals. Foreign blade. Unknown writing. Little bottles. Hidden knives. A face that could become another face With pigments from a box. Mara had crossed half the world alone And somehow crossed it back. Sarah commanded thousands. Mara needed none. Sarah finally said, “You scare me a little.” Mara looked genuinely pleased. “Good.” Sarah shoved her shoulder. “Idiot.” Mara shoved her back. “Sister.” [OUTRO] Sarah stood to leave. At the doorway Mara called, “Sarah?” She turned. “I missed you.” Sarah's expression softened. “You could've led with that.” “I was busy showing off.” “Obviously.” Sarah closed the door. Then opened it again. “And Mara?” “Yeah?” “Next time you assassinate someone besieged by my army—tell me.” Mara thought about it. “I'll consider it.” Sarah: “Mara.” “Fine.” [PAUSE] “Probably.” [DOOR CLOSES] Mara smiled, Went back to packing things Sarah very deliberately Had decided not to ask about. [CUT]

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