Melancholy Song
By Gwydeon MacGowall


I tell this tale 
of darken olde stone 
and terrible tombs 
and cold heartless flesh. 
 
I tell this tale as a dirge 
for the men who died, 
so that they may not be forgotten. 
 
For the ones who loved them 
and those who never knew them 
and those who ne'er will. 
 
Yet a warning also is this 
For those who cling to darkness 
that they might know that justice comes 
be it swift, or slow, 
it comes with the certainty 
of an executioner's axe. 
 
There lay a village 
that shall not be named 
(for in naming it we invite its fate) 
that stands no longer, 
lost to the winds of time. 
 
But before it fell, 
it prospered, as villages do, 
full of men, and women and children 
of kind spirit and common wisdom. 
 
This village sat between two poles, 
poles that would be its undoing; 
to the east, a set of standing stones, 
fallen to moss and time; 
to the west, a burial mound, 
common as any, 
but not so common, as we shall soon see. 
 
In a time of gloom, 
when Tara lay headless, 
for no high king walked its halls, 
this is when its fate befell it. 
 
At first, the menfolk began to disappear, 
one by one, they came not to their homes 
at nightfall 
and the women were made to worry. 
 
For three months, 
and only when the moon 
was on the wane, 
did their menfolk vanish. 
 
From the fields, 
from the streets, 
from their very beds, 
as long as no one watched 
they were gone. 
 
So it came to be 
that the women heard of a hero 
who supped in the hall of a town 
not far from where they lived. 
 
For 3 days they braved the dark and foreboding forest 
too entreat this hero to their aid; 
the hero, Tove Dragonslayer. 
 
How Tove earned this name is another tale, 
but suffice that she was a mighty warrior indeed, 
and she travelled with many talented companions. 
 
So entreat her these women did, 
and hearing of this mystery, 
Tove and her companions agreed to come. 
 
With her came Lara, 
Swordmistress and charioteer for the Fion; 
and Thadeus, Reman soldier and officer, 
engineer and builder of wondrous devices; 
and also a druid, who shall not be named, 
for he was sworn to secrecy. 
 
To this village they rode, 
for 3 days and 3 nights, 
and they set upon investigating the village. 
 
'First' proclaimed Tove, 
'What do you suspect has done it?', 
this she said to the women. 
 
'The restless dead' said they, 
'or dark powers that reside in the earth'. 
 
'Have ye burial for the dead?' 
said the druid. 
 
'Aye', said they 
'on yonder mound' 
and so off did the druid go 
with Lara swordmistress in tow 
to the hill of the consecrated dead. 
 
'And have ye stones of power' 
said Tove. 
 
'Aye', said they 
'And take you too them we shall'. 
'Overgrown are they, and fallen.' 
 
But nay! When Tove and Thaddeus came unto them 
They stood clean, and cleared, 
and fallen no longer, 
as if time had reversed itself for this place. 
 
'Some force works here' said Thaddeus, 
and he grimaced, 
for magic is distasteful to his kind. 
 
Elsewhere, upon the mound, 
the druid sensed something amiss 
and looked upon the top 
and behold! The dirt was mussed and broken! 
 
'Fetch a spade!' said he, 
and Lara did so, 
and stuck it into the earth to make a hole. 
 
But the earth would not have it, 
and collapsed in, 
taking poor Lara with it 
into darkness. 
 
'Fetch my companions' 
yelled the druid to an onlooker 
and he descended to the gloom below. 
 
It is not known what they saw there, 
and if any know, they are sworn not to say, 
but the druid and Lara emerged, shaken 
as if they had seen something terrible. 
 
By this time, night had nearly fallen, 
and the companions retired to a shack 
to spend the night in fitful repose. 
 
Not long after this 
screams pierced the night 
and fire shot up into the sky; 
the village was under attack! 
 
Into the night ran the companions 
blade in hand and at the ready 
and they tore into the invaders, 
misshapen beasts with faces like dogs. 
 
Tove slew three in as many breaths, 
and the rest fled into the night 
but alas, with hostages. 
 
First in pursuit was Lara and Thaddeus, 
and Thaddeus caught his prey 
under an old oak tree. 
 
He dispatched the beast 
with one fell stroke, 
and knelt to aid the maiden 
who had been taken. 
 
Into his arms he lifted her, 
and began walking back to the village, 
but after a few steps he was made weak, 
and fell to his knees. 
 
The maiden he held got to her feet, 
and licked her fingers, 
for it was she that had caused his weakness, 
and she licked her fingers with glee. 
 
This monster fed not upon the flesh of plants, 
nor the meat of beasts, 
but instead the blood of men, 
fair and true. 
 
'Demon!' yelled Thaddeus, 
and he lunged, 
but he was weak, 
and she was strong and swift, 
and the blow did not fall. 
 
'Strong you are, 
and so full of life. 
What a wonderful slave you would make; 
a slave to my dark glory! 
Immortality I could give you! 
Riches and strength you have never known! 
Submit to me', cried she 
'and it all shall be yours!' 
 
'Creature! Have me you shall not!' 
and he swung again, 
but his wounds made him weak, 
and she laughed at him. 
 
But she laughed little longer, 
for justice was at hand; 
the swift and righteous justice 
of the Queen of the Night. 
 
Charged with protecting mortals 
while no sun shined, 
the Queen of the Night sensed this perversion, 
and sent her agents to deal with it. 
 
Two women in garb white as snow 
descended as lightning upon this demon of blood, 
and pressed upon the defense 
it retreated into shadows and was seen no more. 
 
'Come and see this done,' 
said they to Thaddeus, 
and he came with them. 
 
They arrived in a clearing 
where Lara had slain the dog-beasts, 
and Tove and the druid also stood, 
before the very Mistress of our protection, 
the Queen of the Night. 
 
'Go back unto the village, 
and tell them to fear no more, 
for I will deal with this intrusion' 
said she to the gathering before her. 
 
'I entreat you to let me stay', 
said the druid, 
'For I serve the people here, 
and would know what has been done here.' 
 
'Then so be it' said she 
and into the woods they disappeared, 
the Queen, her servants, and the lone druid. 
 
It is not known what they did that night, 
or what became of the remainder of the beasts, 
but it is known that the standing stones were cracked 
and burned to black 
and the burial mound was sealed forevermore, 
and no more beasts appeared to trouble the villagers. 
 
The next morning, the druid went before the people 
solemn and quiet, ande he spoke unto them. 
 
'Your menfolk are gone, 
to rest in the halls of Arawn, 
and alas, you shall see them naught.' 
 
'Tis best that you come with us, 
unto a new town that needs thy care, 
for you cannot defend yourselves without menfolk.' 
 
And the villagers, 
quiet and sad at the loss of their husbands, 
their brothers, 
their sons, 
wished not to remain in this place of painful memories, 
and agreed to start anew. 
 
A great exodus they made up the road, 
but after 6 days and nights, 
they arrived at the next town, 
and were welcomed with open arms 
and condolences for their sorrow. 
 
And know this, 
all ye who seek to do evil; 
while you think you can hide 
and do vile deeds 
and cause pain 
to the common, hardworking people of this land, 
you cannot escape the inevitable justice 
of our protectors. 
 
No one will mourn you when you are gone; 
no one will remember you, 
no one will speak of your deeds; 
for the Queen will take your memory unto herself 
as surely as she will take your life 
and never reveal it to the common folk of this land 
to trouble them with your infamy. 
 
Yet also remember, common folk, 
to be vigilant; 
for this victory was not won without terrible loss; 
the loss of all the men of that village, 
and in the end, the village itself. 
 
Always know that you are watched over; 
but never hesitate to ask help from heroes; 
for it is their duty to give it, 
and to protect you all, 
from vile deeds such as this one.