Song of Hrormir

1   Hrormir
2   Son of Hrorgar
3   Summoned to the Court of Vjindak,
4   Son of Vjinmore, King of Evensnow.

5       "Mighty caster of magic,

6   I charge thee to go to Aelfendor,
7   For its hoary Warriors do threaten my Land
8   And bring forth their cousin Demons
9   To terrify my People."
10  Hrormir
11  Son of Hrorgar
12  Heard the Words of Vjindak Evensnow.

13      "By Icestaff,

14  Surely I would help thee
15  But I have already a Quest to drink
16  Twelve Flagons of Mead in one Hour,
17  And then to bed four Wenches,
18  Twice each.
19  So I must with grace decline."
20  The King he did not smile
21  At Hrormir and his jolly Spirit.

22      "By thine Honor

23  Must thou aidest my Cause
24  For must thou takest up the Sword
25  Of thy Companion Darfang
26  Who took the Quest and failed."
27  Hrormir laughed.

28      "Now I know thou jest.

29  My boon Mate Darfang wouldst not fail.
30  There be no finer Bladesman.
31  If thou chargest him, he wouldst not fall."

32      "I did not say he fell.

33  He joined the Dark Kings of Aelfendor
34  And by doing so dishonored
35  Himself and thee, his Friend."

36  Hrormir could not believe the Words,
37  And yet, he knew Eversnow
38  Didst not lie.
39  So for twenty Days and three rodeth he
40  To the Land of Night, the Kingdom of Fear,
41  Where the Peasants ever carried Candles
42  Knowing what Evil awaiteth them
43  Should they stray beyond the Glow.
44  The Sovereigncy of three Dark Kings:
45  Aelfendor.
46  There, Torch in Hand, didst Hrormir
47  Pass through haunted Countryside
48  And frightened Villages,
49  And through the black Gates
50  Of the blacker Castle of Aelfendor.
51  The three Dark Kings didst sneer
52  At the sight of mighty Hrormir
53  And summoned they their Champion
54  Darfang the Blade.

55      "My boon Companion!"

56  Hrormir called in the Hall of Night.

57      "I dare not trust my Eyes,

58  For then I wouldst believe
59  That thou hast joined with Evil,
60  And turned thy Way from Honor
61  And Brotherhood!"

62      "Hrormir!"

63  Darfang the Blade didst cry.

64      "If thou dost not go now,

65  One of us must die, for I hate thee!"
66  But Hrormir was battle ready,
67  And in the echoing Halls of Night
68 The Blade of Darfang
69  And the Staff of Hrormir
70  Didst strike again and yet again.
71  Mighty Warriors and Mages both,
72  The boon Companions now Foes,
73  Shook Mundus with their War.
74  They might have fought for a Year
75  If there were Sun in Aelfendor
76  To mark Time,
77  And either Hrormir or Darfang
78  May verily have won.
79  But Hrormir saweth through the Dark
80  The Tears in the Eyes of his former Friend,
81  And then he saweth the Shadow of Darfang
82  Wert not his own.
83  And so with Icestaff, he did strike
84  Not Darfang, but his Shadow, which cried.

85      "Hold, Mortal Man!"

86  The Shadow becameth the Hag,
87  Bent and twisted, in her Cloak and Hood.
88  From her faceless Shadows, she hissed.

89      "Mortal Man called Hrormir

90  The Soul of thy boon Companion
91  Is my Plaything,
92  But I will take thine in trade,
93  For though ye both have strong Arms,
94  Thou hast the more clever Mind
95  Which my Sons the Dark Kings need
96  For a Champion of Aelfendor."
97  Hrormir the brave didst not take a Breath
98  Or pause before he boldly said.

99      "Shadowy Hag, release Darfang,

100 And thou mayst use me as thou will."
101 The Hag didst laugh and freed Darfang.

102     "To save thine Honor this thou hast done,

103 But now thou must be without Honor
104 Mortal Man, as the Champion
105 Of the Dark Kings, my Heirs of Gray Maybe,
106 Thou must help them divide Aelfendor,
107 And love me,
108 Thy Shadowy Hag and thy Mistress well."

109 For his loss of Honor,
110 And his dear Friend's Sacrifice,
111 Noble Darfang prepared to take his Dagger
112 And plunge it in his good Heart,
113 But Hrormir stayed his Brother's Hand and whispered.

114     "No, boon Companion,

115 Wait for me at the Village Banquet Hall."
116 And then did Darfang the Blade leave the Castle
117 While Hrormir took the withered Claw
118 Of the Hag, and pressed it to his Lips.

119     "Shadowy Hag, to thee I pledge

120 To only honor thy black Words
121 To turn my back on Truth
122 To aid thy Dark Kings' Ambition
123 To divide their Inheritance fairly
124 To love thee
125 To think thee beautiful."
126 Then to the Chamber in the Heart of Night
127 Hrormir and the Hag did retire
128 Kissed he there her wrinkled Lips
129 And her wrinkled, sagging Breasts,
130 For ten Days and Nights and three did Hrormir
131 And his Icestaff
132 Battle thus.

133 Then Sweet Kynareth blew honeyed Winds
134 O'er the Hills and Forest Glens of Aelfendor,
135 And the Caress of warm blooded Dibella
136 Coaxed the Blossoms to wanton Display
137 So that Aelfendor became a Garden
138 Of all the Senses.
139 The frightened Servants of the Dark Kings
140 Woke to find there was naught to fear
141 And through the once dark Streets of the Village
142 Came the Cries of Celebration.
143 In the Banquet Hall of the Village
144 Hrormir and his boon Companion Darfang
145 Embraced and drank of rich Mead.
146 The Shadowy Hag too was smiling,
147 Sleeping still in her soft Bed,
148 Until the morning Sun touched her naked Face
149 And she awoke, and saw All,
150 And knew All saw her.
151 And she cried out:

152     "Mortal Man!"

153 Night fell fast upon the Land
154 As the Hag flew into the Banquet Hall
155 Casting blackest Darkness in her Wake
156 But all the Celebrants still could see
157 Her Anger
158 In her monstrous Face
159 And they shook with Fear.
160 The Hag had said the Kingdom was
161 To be divided among her Heirs.
162 But Aelfendor had been kept whole
163 While her Children divided,
164 Drawn and quartered.
165 Hrormir was mightily amused.
166 He swallowed his Laughter
167 In his Mead,
168 For none should laugh outright
169 At the Daedra Lord Nocturnal.
170 Without her gray Cowl of shadowed Night,
171 Her hideous Face forced the Moons
172 To hide themselves.
173 Hrormir the mighty did not quail.

174     "Wherest be thine Hood, shadowy hag?"
175     "Mortal Man hast taken it from me unaware.

176 When I awoke, my Face unmasked,
177 My Kingdom cast into the Light,
178 My Dark King Heirs in Pieces cast,
179 And here, my Champion smiles.
180 Yet in truth, thou kept thy Promise truly,
181 To never keep thy Promise true."

182 Hrormir
183 Son of Hrorgar
184 Bowed to the Hag, his Queen.

185     "And evermore,

186 'Til thou releaseth me, will I serve thee so."

187     "A clever Mind in a Champion

188 Is a much overvalued Trait."
189 The Hag released Hrormir's Soul
190 And he released her Hood.
191 And so in the Light of darkest Dark,
192 She left Aelfendor evermore.
193 And after drinking twelve Flagons of Mead,
194 And bedding four Wenches
195 Twice each,
196 Did Darfang return to Eversnow
197 With Hrormir
198 Son of Hrorgar.