Oblivion:Song Of Hrormir

Hrormir

Son of Hrorgar

Summoned to the Court of Vjindak,

Son of Vjinmore, King of Evensnow.

"Mighty caster of magic,

I charge thee to go to Aelfendor,

For its hoary Warriors do threaten my Land

And bring forth their cousin Demons

To terrify my People."

Hrormir

Son of Hrorgar

Heard the Words of Vjindak Evensnow.

"By Icestaff,

Surely I would help thee

But I have already a Quest to drink

Twelve Flagons of Mead in one Hour,

And then to bed four Wenches,

Twice each.

So I must with grace decline."

The King he did not smile

At Hrormir and his jolly Spirit.

"By thine Honor

Must thou aidest my Cause

For must thou takest up the Sword

Of thy Companion Darfang

Who took the Quest and failed."

Hrormir laughed.

"Now I know thou jest.

My boon Mate Darfang wouldst not fail.

There be no finer Bladesman.

If thou chargest him, he wouldst not fall."

"I did not say he fell.

He joined the Dark Kings of Aelfendor

And by doing so dishonored

Himself and thee, his Friend."

Hrormir could not believe the Words,

And yet, he knew Eversnow

Didst not lie.

So for twenty Days and three rodeth he

To the Land of Night, the Kingdom of Fear,

Where the Peasants ever carried Candles

Knowing what Evil awaiteth them

Should they stray beyond the Glow.

The Sovereigncy of three Dark Kings:

Aelfendor.

There, Torch in Hand, didst Hrormir

Pass through haunted Countryside

And frightened Villages,

And through the black Gates

Of the blacker Castle of Aelfendor.

The three Dark Kings didst sneer

At the sight of mighty Hrormir

And summoned they their Champion

Darfang the Blade.

"My boon Companion!"

Hrormir called in the Hall of Night.

"I dare not trust my Eyes,

For then I wouldst believe

That thou hast joined with Evil,

And turned thy Way from Honor

And Brotherhood!"

"Hrormir!"

Darfang the Blade didst cry.

"If thou dost not go now,

One of us must die, for I hate thee!"

But Hrormir was battle ready,

And in the echoing Halls of Night

The Blade of Darfang

And the Staff of Hrormir

Didst strike again and yet again.

Mighty Warriors and Mages both,

The boon Companions now Foes,

Shook Mundus with their War.

They might have fought for a Year

If there were Sun in Aelfendor

To mark Time,

And either Hrormir or Darfang

May verily have won.

But Hrormir saweth through the Dark

The Tears in the Eyes of his former Friend,

And then he saweth the Shadow of Darfang

Wert not his own.

And so with Icestaff, he did strike

Not Darfang, but his Shadow, which cried.

"Hold, Mortal Man!"

The Shadow becameth the Hag,

Bent and twisted, in her Cloak and Hood.

From her faceless Shadows, she hissed.

"Mortal Man called Hrormir

The Soul of thy boon Companion

Is my Plaything,

But I will take thine in trade,

For though ye both have strong Arms,

Thou hast the more clever Mind

Which my Sons the Dark Kings need

For a Champion of Aelfendor."

Hrormir the brave didst not take a Breath

Or pause before he boldly said.

"Shadowy Hag, release Darfang,

And thou mayst use me as thou will."

The Hag didst laugh and freed Darfang.

"To save thine Honor this thou hast done,

But now thou must be without Honor

Mortal Man, as the Champion

Of the Dark Kings, my Heirs of Gray Maybe,

Thou must help them divide Aelfendor,

And love me,

Thy Shadowy Hag and thy Mistress well."

For his loss of Honor,

And his dear Friend's Sacrifice,

Noble Darfang prepared to take his Dagger

And plunge it in his good Heart,

But Hrormir stayed his Brother's Hand and whispered.

"No, boon Companion,

Wait for me at the Village Banquet Hall."

And then did Darfang the Blade leave the Castle

While Hrormir took the withered Claw

Of the Hag, and pressed it to his Lips.

"Shadowy Hag, to thee I pledge

To only honor thy black Words

To turn my back on Truth

To aid thy Dark Kings' Ambition

To divide their Inheritance fairly

To love thee

To think thee beautiful."

Then to the Chamber in the Heart of Night

Hrormir and the Hag did retire

Kissed he there her wrinkled Lips

And her wrinkled, sagging Breasts,

For ten Days and Nights and three did Hrormir

And his Icestaff

Battle thus.

Then Sweet Kynareth blew honeyed Winds

O'er the Hills and Forest Glens of Aelfendor,

And the Caress of warm blooded Dibella

Coaxed the Blossoms to wanton Display

So that Aelfendor became a Garden

Of all the Senses.

The frightened Servants of the Dark Kings

Woke to find there was naught to fear

And through the once dark Streets of the Village

Came the Cries of Celebration.

In the Banquet Hall of the Village

Hrormir and his boon Companion Darfang

Embraced and drank of rich Mead.

The Shadowy Hag too was smiling,

Sleeping still in her soft Bed,

Until the morning Sun touched her naked Face

And she awoke, and saw All,

And knew All saw her.

And she cried out:

"Mortal Man!"

Night fell fast upon the Land

As the Hag flew into the Banquet Hall

Casting blackest Darkness in her Wake

But all the Celebrants still could see

Her Anger

In her monstrous Face

And they shook with Fear.

The Hag had said the Kingdom was

To be divided among her Heirs.

But Aelfendor had been kept whole

While her Children divided,

Drawn and quartered.

Hrormir was mightily amused.

He swallowed his Laughter

In his Mead,

For none should laugh outright

At the Daedra Lord Nocturnal.

Without her gray Cowl of shadowed Night,

Her hideous Face forced the Moons

To hide themselves.

Hrormir the mighty did not quail.

"Wherest be thine Hood, shadowy hag?"

"Mortal Man hast taken it from me unaware.

When I awoke, my Face unmasked,

My Kingdom cast into the Light,

My Dark King Heirs in Pieces cast,

And here, my Champion smiles.

Yet in truth, thou kept thy Promise truly,

To never keep thy Promise true."

Hrormir

Son of Hrorgar

Bowed to the Hag, his Queen.

"And evermore,

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

"A clever Mind in a Champion

Is a much overvalued Trait."

The Hag released Hrormir's Soul

And he released her Hood.

And so in the Light of darkest Dark,

She left Aelfendor evermore.

And after drinking twelve Flagons of Mead,

And bedding four Wenches

Twice each,

Did Darfang return to Eversnow

With Hrormir

Son of Hrorgar.