Leslac: The Warrior and the sorceress rode into
Viden-town
For they had heard of evil there and
meant to bring it down
An overlord with iron hand who ruled his
folk with rear --
Tarma: Bartender, shut that minstrel up and bring another beer.
L: The Warrior and the sorceress went search --
ing high and low
T: That isn't true, I tell you, and I think that I
should know!
L: They meant to find the tyrant who'd betrayed
his people's trust
And bring the monster's power and pride to
tumble in the dust.
L: They searched through all the town to find and bring him to defeat.
T: Like Hell! What we were looking for was wine and bread and meat!
L: They found him in the tavern and they chal-lenged him to fight.
T: We found him holding up the bar, drunk as a pig, that night.
L: The tyrant laughed and mocked at them, with vile words and base.
T: He tripped on WarrFs tail, then took excep-tion to my face.
L: The Warrior was too wise for him; his blade
clove only air!
3T: He swung, I ducked, he lunged -- and then he tripped over a chair.
L: With but a single blow the Warrior brought
him to his doom!
T: About that time he turned around-I got him
with a broom.
L: And in a breath the deed was done! The
tyrant-lord lay dead*
T: I didn't mean for him to hit the fire iron with
his head!
L: The wife that he had kept shut up they
freed and set on high
And Viden-town beneath her hand content --
edly did lie.
T: I went to find his next-of-kin and to the girl
confess --
"Your husband wasn't much before, but now
he's rather less -- "
T: "He was a drunken sot, and I'll be better
off," she said.
"And while I can't admit it, I'm not sorry
that he's dead.
So here's a little something -- but you'd best
be on your way --
I'll claim it was an accident if you'll just
leave today."
L: In triumph out of Viden-town the partners
rode again
To find another tyrant and to clean him
from his den --
The scourge of evil and the answer to a des-perate prayer!"
T: Don't you believe a word of it-I know, 'cause I was there!
(Tarma: "Swordsworn")
CH; Wind's four quarters, air and fire
Earth and water, hear my desire
Grant my plea who stands alone --
Maiden, Warrior, Mother and Crone.
Eastern wind blow clear, blow clean,
Cleanse my body of its pain,
Cleanse my mind of what I've seen,
Cleanse my honor of its stain.
Maid whose love has never ceased
Bring me healing from the East.
Southern wind blow hot, blow hard,
Fan my courage to a flame,
Southern wind be guide and guard,
Add your bravery to my name.
Let my will and yours be twinned,
Warrior of the Southern wind.
Western wind, stark, blow strong,
Grant me arm and mind of steel
On a road both hard and long.
Mother, hear me where I kneel.
Let no weakness on my quest
Hinder me, wind of the West.
Northern wind blow cruel, blow cold,
Sheathe my aching heart in ice,
3Armor "round my soul enfold.
Crone I need not call you twice.
To my foes bring the cold of death!
Chill me. North wind's frozen breath.
(Leslac)
Swordlady, valiant, no matter the foe,
Into the battle you fearlessly go --
Boldly you ride out beyond map and chart --
Why are you frightened to open your heart?
Swordlady, lady of consummate skill,
Lady of prowess, of strength and of will,
Swordlady, lady of cold ice and steel,
Why will you never admit that you feel?
Swordlady, mistress of all arts of war,
Wise in the ways of all strategic lore,
You fear no creature below or above,
Why do you shrink from the soft touch of love?
Swordlady, brave to endure wounds and pain,
Plunging through lightning, through thunder and
rain,
Flinching from nothing, so high is your pride,
Why then pretend you hold nothing inside?
Swordlady, somewhere within you is hid
A creature of feeling that no vow can rid,
A woman-a girl, with a heart soft and warm,
No matter the brutal deeds that you perform.
Swordlady, somewhere inside of you deep,
Cowers the maiden that you think asleep,
Frozen within you, in ice shrouded womb
That you can only pretend is a tomb.
Swordlady, all of the vows you have made
Can never make your heart die as you've bade.
Swordlady, after the winter comes spring;
One day your heart will awaken and sing.
Swordlady, one day there must come a man Who shall lift from you this self-imposed ban, Thawing the ice that's enshrouded your soul, On that day swordlady, you shall be whole.
(The old tradition holds that the Shin'a'in-now forty-odd Clans in all-originally came from four:
the Tale'sedrin (Children of the Hawk), the Liha'-irden (Deer-sibs), the Vuysher'edras (Brothers of the Wolves), and the Pretera'sedrin (the Chil-dren of the Grasscats). Hence the monumental se-riousness of the threat of declaring Tale'sedrin a dead Clan in Oathbound.)
Gold the dawn-sun spreads his wings --
Follow where the East-wind sings,
Brothers, sisters, side by side,
To defend our home we ride!
Eyes of Hawks the borders see --
Watchers, guard it carefully
Let no stranger pass it by --
Children of the Hawk, now fly!
CH: Maiden, Warrior, Mother, Crone,
Help us keep this land our own.
Rover, Guardian, Hunter, Guide,
With us now forever ride.
Speed of deer, oh grant to these --
Swift to warn of enemies,
Fleeter far than any foe --
Deer-child, to the border go!
Cunning as the Wolf-pack now,
To no overlord we bow!
Lest some lord our freedom blight,
Brothers of the Wolves, we fight!
Brave, the great Cat guards his lair,
Teeth to rend and claws to tear.
Lead the battle, first to last,
Children of the Cat, hold fast!
Hawk and Cat, and Wolf and Deer,
Keep the plains now safe from fear,
Brothers, sisters, side by side,
To defend our home, we ride!
(Although Tarma seldom mentioned the fact, her people have a four-aspected male deity to compliment the female. This song gives Him equal time with Her.)
The East wind is calling, so come ride away,
Come follow the Rover into the new day,
Come follow the Maiden, the Dark Moon, with
me,
The new year's beginning, come ride out and see.
Come follow the Rover out onto the plains,