King Largen of the Frozen North

 




King Largen of the frozen north
Took his sword and went he forth
To seek the dragon Dalenboke
That sorely plagued his peaceful folk.

Five days had passed upon his way
And then he met a princess fey
Who asked him why he bore his sword
Across her stream and tranquil fjord.

He told his tale of dragon hate
And bid her help him seek his fate.
So boon he asked, and boon he got
She led him to a sacred spot.

"Rest you now, here by this stream
When you awake perhaps you'll seem
To find a new way to your goal
Just listen to your dreaming soul."

The fey, they think in slipp'ry ways.
Unlike men: too straight their gaze.
Largen slept just like a child
And in the dreamland he was exiled.

When last he woke at break of day
The world had turned, gone was the fey.
His sword had rusted red as blood
The stream had risen like a flood.

The season changed, whole years had passed;
New trees had grown in tall green grass.
Fear and wonder filled his mind
He rose and left this place behind.

North he went to hearth and home
In ragged clothes wet with foam.
At last he found his valley fair
But as you guessed, none were there.

The massive skull of Dalenboke
Hung in the branches of an oak.
A sign he read through many tears
"Our king abandoned us for years...

At last, we found an inner fire
Against the beast so grim and dire.
Our king had fled so we must try
To slay the beast that burns the sky."

Largen's goal was reached at last
By people long dead in the past.
He stood a while with rusty blade
All alone in Springtime glade.

At last the blade found its rest
Standing from the old king's chest.
He joined his people, heroes all,
In his gods' vast, shining hall.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Heroes and the Jabberwock

Image
  For a long time it was assumed that the fearsome jabberwock was at last slain by a single hero. One can blame the talented - and slightly bonkers (all the best ones are) - writer Lewis Carroll. In truth, there were two heroes with vorpal blades that sealed the creature's fate. None today remember their names or stations, though some of the ancient scrolls hint that one was a ferocious knight traveling the land and helping the downtrodden - his penance for some past sin. The other was called "a pox-scarred bard whose voice was the only beauty about him." Each hero took a tooth, not the entire monstrous head, from the jabberwock's steaming mouth as a keepsake. It was said that it took a team of mules to haul the prizes home. But, since all we have is our esteemed Mr. Carrol's poem, we must pretend to change "He" to "They." Then it reads right. Jabberwocky BY LEWIS CARROLL ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: ...
Read more

Secrets of the Old Forest

Image
  The guide turned back to Ritter and said, "We are entering the oldest part of the forest. Few come this way, and many of those who do are not seen again." It looked like a normal forest to Ritter, but he drew his sword out of caution. "Nay, good Sir," the guide said. "Your sword cannot protect you from the powers that inhabit this place." The old guide threw his cloak around his bony shoulders and moved cautiously down the trail. Ritter followed, his sword still unsheathed. They walked silently, slowly for a few minutes, and the air grew warmer, more oppressive. It was like the forest was watching them, and the gaze of the trees was pressing in on them. The guide stepped lightly to the left to avoid a small mushroom on the trail's right edge, and Ritter copied him. As he did, Ritter's sword lightly grazed the top of the mushroom. He said nothing, and continued following the old man. Moments later, the trail turned to bypass a huge tree, behi...
Read more

Queen of Wands

Image
  Ulrich sat in the Seeing Lady's wagon as she lit an oil lamp. The wagon was more like a small house, in truth. It was just big enough for two curtained rooms. The main room was her public space, it seemed, with silken hangings, a folding table, lamps, and too many pillows. When he glimpsed through a gap in the linen curtain, he could see her sleeping cot and two fluffy cats: one asleep and one staring at him without blinking. "Please to be comfortable," the Seeing Lady said, pointing to a three-legged stool topped by a white pillow with a swan embroidered in red. It was also covered in cat hair. The Seeing Lady wore an elaborate, silk and linen dress and head scarf favored by ladies in eastern Salvania. Her fingernails were painted bright red to match her lips. Her eyelids were painted green. She fell into that indeterminate age somewhere between too young and too old. It seemed like eastern ladies went to a lot of trouble painting themselves each day. They sho...
Read more