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The Blaethede of the Minstrel

I, Thesperos of Lunthrus, was sent from the city Ithmar, to sight the wanderings and ideas of the people of Ruorn, chief city of the kingdom of Ar’nourlh. While there, I was partially delayed by a roving band of minstrels and other such peoples who caught me up with the prospect of work for them. Apparently, they thought I was some sort of misshapen mannink, but that, of course, is absurd. Besides this, I set right their minds and they, being apologetic, allowed me the audience of their main performance that night. I somewhat roughly complied.

They led me to the auditorial seats and there I sat in slight comfort. Then, while waiting for all things to commence, a man walked to the middle of the stage carrying a staggh in his grasp. Then a drum sounded and sent its booming voice throughout the actrium. The crowd then quieted all of a sudden and he slowly began to move the stones. Then he began to sing, softly at first, then rising. This is what I heard, as best I can to represent it:

When days were old

and bards were told

My father, young, was he.

He plucked the lyre

and dirges fewer

For King did he there sing.

Then one day when the winds did change

And all had failed in fire

The King died upon the bed of Khrì.

there upon the dead King he.

So then my father,

told of this,

Did fall therein afar.

He, lost of mind,

and nothing less,

Was left with not a thrind.

For overmore, he lost his way

He left the ways of men,

And he traveled over unto the elves

when he dwelt among them all

within the farther fair Andim.

So after he had

there stayed long

And much was known to him,

The elves they came

and knew him more

For what they let him stay?

And finally they allowed him

For songs he sung they liked

And all that he thence had made for them

nothing more,

They knew him for what he truly was.

Then called upon

by elven King

Of noble birth was he.

He then was told

to travel far

Durst not he list’ portend

The trolls of civil’zations held

No lays of other lands

And so, this the reason for his tend,

left upon

He was torn between two uncharted lands.

Then riding forth

by day, by night

The hand beheld his sword.

He left the elves

and traveled long

Unto the trollen hord.

They took him in, not with discord

Of doubt that he, a man,

Would ever under a ser’ous mind,

not unkind,

Would ever partake with trolls abroad.

-Then leaving all his plans behind,

He dwelt with them therein.

They then complied and so he lied

That he would befriend them.

To him they were the ugly brood

To him they were the swine.

They smelt to him of earthly blimn

And so he took them in.

-Upon this troubled spirit rode

The thought of magic stone.

For with them there he they rode

To stay, protect the stone.

He then did find

and bridle all

The weakening distress.

He snuck within

and while the din

Above had he there wrought.

He stole the stone and left them there

To be dismaying find-

For after they knew his betrayal,

unsoughten,

They grew angry for not were they dismayed.

He then did pass

and far he fled

Unto the halls of Drome.

There dwarves they lived

so plentiful

And greedy not become.

He sold the stone for many things

And not were all they gold

He sought that which would then become his

quench him

His desire for a purpose there.

So after this he left

and came

Back to the elven gates.

They brought him in

and bade him come

Unto their King for pay.

The King, he asked for songs written

Of trolls forevermore,

And so the man delivered them

for he

He had written them while riding home.

The rise of angry

mountain trolls,

They rode for betrayal

Was thought upon

as leavened dread

For those who would dare part

Their friendships for not easily

Were all they befriended;

But when their trust had been acquired

they would then

Be willing to die for all and thee.

For all this with them

bleating goats

They set upon the trail.

And nothing would they find

and so

All left was there, ta’assume;

That man had come from elven places

Gracious they all knew

Was that King who sat upon that throne.

they then thought

That all would then betray them.

So now then coming

to those gates

Of elven kingdom come,

The trolls, so angered

to the least

And they would before tell

That so eventually met

They rammed upon the gate

The unknowing of likely circumstance

that before

The gates they would be there torn down.

Now beckoned forth

the King did come

To understand their plee.

The King did question them

their anger,

For what did they seek?

These things they came together for

A purpose and that sleek

For nothing would all they dare to say

left that day,

The trolls would forever be dismayed.

They told him of the

betrayer

And how he had been meek.

The King his anger

grew and grew

Until all would burst forth.

He raged and then he threw the ground

The man to be dismayed

For to all in that sacred place did know

the price

Laid upon the head of any wretched soul.

So after all this had become

The trolls they took him home.

They beat and ransacked him afar

And questioned were he bold?

He looked up into their eyes then

And took them for regret

He said that they would then deserve

An apology broad.

He spoke and said all that is here

These things now laid upon:

“You took me into your confidence

And led me to a nod.

And all I gave for your return

Was betrayal abroad.”

Then after all this had took place

Between those rough-hewn walls,

The trolls demanded precious stone

For all eternity.

But now and on

to their dismay

He looked at them and said:

“My thoughts, not now

will deceive me

For you are strong and fierce.

I would not tell you

for my life

Where I had hid that stone.

For if I did

then there a price

Be on my head a bane.

You, now, I see

are at a loss

At what to do with me.

But, now, you see

I may here help

For if you set me free,

Then I would go and back I steal

That wretched stone, reposed

For then all would be again renewed

between us,

And so, debts shall finally be paid.”

They in their angought(angered thought)

pondered this

And thought that they would say

The things that flew

about their minds

For they were deep and thick.

So with this all they sighed and said

That all should be as known,

But with everything that he had said, they would

let him go,

And not alone but with the Leccondrë.

He trembled deep down

at these words

For dark they were to him.

The Leccondrë

was the troll’s beast

And loose it they could say.

For many tales had been told

Of reckoning with it;

It was not a thing to be tampered with

beat a whip,

Altogether it was not so unlikely.

Then finally, abroad

they took

To flight were they then made.

For the Leccondrë

would never sate

Itself upon the land.

And now directing by the head

The minstrel once was he

Unto the lands between them there

elve and troll,

The fire cast and wrought of pearls dark.

But this had naught

to sway the beast

For his were scales black,

They gleamed with light

from lands beneath

And teeth they dripped with foam.

Then down they set

and

snuck within

Those hullede halls of stone

For here lay the kingdom of the dwarves

iron laid,

For here, they would tamper with the stone.

Then through the gates

of fired pearl

That wrung of anviled make.

The fire beat

upon them down

And still they on went on.

For there were they so very lost

Within those skillful made

Halls of stone, that the dwarves had carven strung

with the blade

The skill that the dwarves had there portrayed.

Then finally

they found the nest

Of spiders weaving silk.

And at the heart

the pearly crest

Of stone did show above.

Then fire made the Leccondrë

And lit the spinning silk,

The spiders, then leaped upon him, sprung

and the man

There he snuck in and took the stone of Khold.

They then escaped

that muddled mass

And moved then back to leave.

But dwarve fine saw them

creeping slow

And gave a warning cry.

So fiercely from all sides drawn in

The dwarves and saw they stone

That then they so took unto the sky.

Fly hard and long

for life did they

And cautioned by the wind.

It led them think

the dwarves would follow

In their startled wake.

But, still, they flew far on and on

Until they reached the hoard

Whereupon they renounced them claim to stay

for they saw,

The armies of dwarven kingdom come.

But then the dwarves

knew naught of this

And then attacked the trolls.

And battles raged

far past the days

That all had they then come.

And over time both man and beast

Had grown to like the other

And fly away did they ever roam

they did roam,

For the rest of their long days they did roam.

He finished and gave a courteous bow before the stunned and startled crowd. Then he walked off the stage and all had ended.