Medieval Epic Part Three

[Tami]

....Slowly the lord's thoughts
Moved on through that night
And over the next day,
All of it still
An unbelievable blur.

He never once questioned
The young charge he found;
Waiting with patience
For what time would reveal.

They stopped only once,
For a meal and some rest
More for the horse
Than the warrior's mind.

Constantly he watched
For signs around him,
Yet all he could sense
Was an uneasy presence.

He was so deep
In his thoughts
He almost didn't hear
As the scared little boy
Released his fear....

....Even now, looking out
Into the stillness before him,
He found hard to understand
What roamed out there hunting.

Lost again in the tale
This young boy had told,
The dark clad lord
Wandered atop the stone wall.

Mentally he ran through
What they had close at hand,
Knowing it wasn't enough
What else could he do?

Suddenly below him,
Something ado at the gate;
Looking down in the dark
His eyes fought to see.

Figures in cloaks,
He knew not how many.
Turning on his heel,
He climbed down the ladder.

There at the postern,
His guardsman argued
"Wait on the lord,
I can't just let you in."

Muffled voices replied
"You need us to help,
There's evil in the air,
You need more than arrows."

The guardsman argued back,
"But how can we know,
What promise can you give?
Should you come in,
The evil isn't you?"

Again a reply
“You’re using up time
We need to prepare;
If we were here to cause harm,
You’d know it ere now.”

The lord stepped forward,
Placing a hand on the guard.
“Open the door,
We have nothing to lose.”

A grimace on his face,
He swung open the postern
Stepping slightly aside
He let them all enter.

Thirteen dark figures
Filed in through the gate;
Covered in cloaks,
Hoods hid every face.

They waited in silence
While the guard barred the door
As one they all turned,
And stood facing the lord.

An uneasy silence passed,
Until one finally spoke.
“We know what walks
The moors this night,
Help us make ready,
They’ll be here upon us
Long before light.”

The lord long ago
Had measured their chances;
He had asked for help,
And it seemed to be here.

He looked to the one
Who had previously spoken;
“Where do we start,
Will we even survive?”

She pushed back hood,
Looking about her;
“The first thing to be done,
Is iron that door.”

The guard asked sharply,
“Iron the door?
What could this woman
Possibly think?
How would that keep
This enemy out?”

“Silence!”
The lord warned
His gateman.
“You will do as they bid,
We don’t have time to question.”

“But m’lord,” He began
Once again to speak,
“With iron on the gate,
There will be no escape.”

Once more the woman
Quietly spoke,
“If you don’t keep them out,
Nor defeat them this night,
You will have no chance
Of any escape.”

The chill in her words
Set the guard to thought,
Brusquely he turned,
“Off to the smithy,”
He ordered a boy.
“Do as they bid.”

Calm once again,
The woman spoke
With the others.
“You know what to do,
Now set to your tasks.”

The men looked on
As the women divided;
In groups of three they went
Only their leader remained.
“M’lord, I implore thee
We have need of salt.”

He looked upon her,
A question on his lips
But there in the torchlight
Her hood thrown back,
He saw a wisdom and strength
Far beyond fathom.

“Whatever we have,
You’ve only to say.
Whatever you need
It is yours, without delay.”
The lord turned,
Realizing then,
All his men’s eyes
Were upon them.

“We have a new ally,
You will treat them as such.”
He singled out a man,
Beckoned him forth.

“Kegan, I am placing you
At m’lady’s service.
Any request she may have,
Any task she hands you,
See it is done as she bids.”

The young man
Bowed his head in courtesy.
The woman allowed
A brief smile in return,
As quickly it was gone,
When to Kegan she spoke.

“Take me to your stores
We must hurry now,
They’ll appear anon.
This manse as yet
Is far from prepared.”


Copyright 2004 by me under my real name

[Jim]

<img src=\'http://www.killanet.net/forum3/public/s ... crying.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\'(tear)\' /> It's soo good. Thanks for sharing this with us ada <img src=\'http://www.killanet.net/forum3/public/s ... >/good.gif\' class=\'bbc_emoticon\' alt=\'(Y)\' />