• Ballad Of The Rose Of Ice

    For many a night and many a day,
    I travelled, far far away,
    With no king to serve and no queen to rhyme,
    I was left with the precious gift of time,
    My boots walked roads,
    Long forgotten, by the time they found their nodes,
    I travelled night and day, day and night,
    'Till a horrid vision came across my sight,
    Brigands, as low as the grass,
    Were tormenting a beautiful fair lass,
    I took out my sword and fought them away,
    When I noticed, I was alone left to stay,
    The maiden had vanished as quick as the wind,
    And I spent many a day trying to find a hint,
    As to where this fair maiden lay,
    For I knew, that for me that was the place to stay,
    For weeks my dreams she did not leave,
    But, the days disapeared like a purse in my sleeve.



    One day I came across a land,
    Known only as Dragonsand,
    The pesants warned me of death,
    But to the danger I was deaf,
    If I could not be with my fair maiden,
    I would rather die at the jaws of a beast godforsaken,
    I walked across Dragonsand,
    Cheerfully singing "The Soldiers Last Stand",
    Then the beasts attacked me, but I feared not,
    Untill a melodic voice said "Stop!",
    It was my long lost love,
    As beautiful as a forest dove,
    She took me with her, across dragon's land,
    To a kingdom across the Dragon’s sand,
    She said she was high priestess,
    But I guessed she was also the princess,
    Days passed and with me she fell in love,
    But that harmony was deatroyed when the king returned from some far-away
    nation's alcove,
    He ordered me in exile,
    But in speechcraft was my guile,
    I pleaded and asked until he agreed,
    He said "Then I shall send you to a quest most esteemed."
    "My daughter's hand in marrige you shall have, if...",
    "You bring me a suitable gift.",
    "For her I want a rose made of ice.",
    My mout fell open - so geat was my surprise.


    I walked many roads,
    And slayed many foes,
    Glory covered my name,
    But what I sought was not fame,
    I travelled to the end of the world - a land made of ice,
    "Perhaps here I shall find a rose that may suffice",
    I saw a cavern, and ventured inside,
    When I saw it was full of beasts far and wide,
    I fought and then ran,
    And I ran, and I ran,
    'Till I found the strangest room,
    It was a forge, though it seemed kind of glum,
    Out came a dwarf, but eyes had he not, welcomed me , and asked if I wanted ale,
    But in echange of his hospitallity he wanted my tale,
    I sat and told him of my gruesome curse,
    Then he said to me "Fear not, there's worse.",
    He said he would make me a rose made of ice,
    But in exchange I had to help him for fourty-one nights,
    He said he wanted to forge a sword for which steel would not suffice,
    For that which he wanted he needed black ice,
    But sadly, to the beasts he lost his eyes,
    I agreed, and he did not leave me to catch flies,
    I helped him and soon it was done,
    My journey home had quickly began,
    "Here boy, take this." he told me when I would leave,
    "Consider it a parting gift, it would do me little less than my sleeves.",
    I took the blade, complaints in plenty, but he heard none,
    so with the rose in hand I journeyed to where I began.



    When I reached the land,
    Called by most Dragonsand,
    I was attacked by beasts that would not let me pass and would preffer to rip out
    my spleen,
    Sadly for them my journey had made my skills keen,
    When the last of them fell under my boot,
    Before the king with the rose I stood,
    "Here is your gift, now give me your daughter.",
    "Ha, to think that you succeded, but no quarter,",
    "I shall kill you myself," He said and became a dragon mighty and grim,
    "You shall not tear off even a brim.",
    And with those words I rushed into glorious battle,
    'Till the king fell as if on him would be put a saddle.

    This is my tale, and if what hapenned aftherwards is what you ask,
    Taking my sword would be no small task,
    The rose I gave to my love,
    And we lived happily in our abode.
    ***