Arrow's Fall Read online

  The Heralds came at once to judge if there had been foul play.

  The questioned all most carefully to hear what they would say.

  And one fact most astounding to them quickly came to light—

  That every moment of the Count was vouched for on that night.

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  The castle folk by ones and twos came forward on their own To swear the Count had never once that night been all alone.

  So though the Tower had been locked tight, with two keys to the door, One his, one hers; the Count of guilt was plain absolved for sure.

  At length the Heralds then pronounced her death as "suicide."

  And all within the district voiced themselves quite satisified.

  It was a verdict, after all, that none wished to refute—

  Though no one could imagine why she'd try to eat her lute.

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  Musings

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Mercedes Lackey

  (Selenay: Arrows of the Queen)

  How did you grow so wise, so young?

  Tell me Herald, tell me.

  How did you grow so wise, so young, Queen's Own?

  Where did you learn the words to say

  That take my pain and guilt away

  And give me strength again today

  To sit upon my throne?

  How could you be so brave, so young?

  Tell me, Herald, tell me.

  How could you be so brave, so young, Queen's Own?

  How do you overcome your fear?

  To know my path was never clear

  While knowing Death walks ever near

  Would chill me to the bone.

  How can you be so kind, so young?

  Tell me, Herald, tell me.

  How can you be so kind, so young, Queen's Own?

  To see the best, and not the worst—

  To soothe an anger, pain, or thirst—

  To always think of others first

  And never self alone.

  Where did you learn to love so young?

  Tell me Herald, tell me.

  Where did you learn to love so young, Queen's Own?

  How did you teach your heart to care—

  To touch in ways I would not dare?

  Oh, where did you find the courage? Where?

  Ah, Herald— how you've grown!

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  Philosophy

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Kristoph Klover

  (Skif: Arrows of the Queen)

  What's the use of living if you never learn to laugh?

  Look at me, I grew up down among the riff and raff But you won't catch me glooming 'round without a hint of smile And when I have to do a thing, I do it right, with style!

  Chorus:

  'Cause if you're gonna be the one to take that tightrope walk, And if you're gonna be the one to make the gossips talk, If it's your job to be the one who always takes the chance, And if you have to cross thin ice— then cross it in a dance!

  Now take the time when I was "borrowing" a thing or two—

  The owner of the house walked in— well, what was I to do?

  I bowed and said, "Don't stir yourself," before he raised a shout,

  "Thanks for your hospitality, I'll find my own way out!"

  I'd just come up a chimney, I was black from head to toe—

  Climbed to the yard to find a watchman— wouldn't you just know!

  But in the dark he took me for a demon, I would bet,

  'Cause when I howled and went for him— I think he's running yet!

  Take my Companion— did you know I thought to steal her too?

  This pretty horse out in the street, no owner in my view—

  I grabbed her reins and hopped aboard, I thought I was home free, Until I looked into her eyes— and now the joke's on me!

  'Cause now I've got to be the one to take that tightrope walk And now I've got to be the one who'll make the gossips talk, And it's my job to be the one who always takes the chance—

  But when I have to cross thin ice, I'll cross it in a dance!

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  Laws

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Leslie Fish

  (Skif: Arrows of the Queen)

  The Law of the Streetwise is "grab all you can For there's nothing that's true— nothing lasts."

  The Law of the Dodger is "learn all the dirt—

  The most pious of priests have their pasts."

  The Law of the Grifter is "cheat the fool first Or the one who'll be cheated is you."

  But the Law of the Herald is "give all you can For some day you will need a gift too."

  The Law of the Liar is "there is no truth

  It is all shades of meaning and greed."

  The Law of the Hopeless is "never believe

  For all faith is a hollowed-out reed."

  The Law of the Empty is "there's nothing more, Life is nothing but shadow and air."

  But the Law of the Herald is "Seek out and find."

  And the Law of the Heralds is "Care."

  The Law of the Hunted is "guard your own back, For the enemy strikes from behind."

  The Law of the Greedy is "trust no one else, Hide and hoard anything that you find."

  The Law of the Hater is "crush and destroy,"

  And the Law of the Bigot is "kill.".

  But the Law of the Herald is "faith, hope and trust,"

  And the strength of the Herald is will.

  All these Laws I have learned from the first to the last 313

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  From the ones who would teach me they're true—

  And full many the ones who taught anger and fear, But the ones who taught hope— they were few.

  And I ask myself, "Which is the Law I must take, Fitting truth as a hand fits a glove?"

  Then I chose, and I never looked back from that day, For the Law of the Heralds is "Love."

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  The Face Within

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Kristoph Klover and Larry Warner

  (Dirk and Kris: Arrow's Flight)

  The Weaponsmaster has no heart; his hide is iron-cold His soul within that hide is steel; or so I have been told.

  His only care is for your skill, his only love, his own.

  And where another has a heart, he has a marble stone.

  That's what the common wisdom holds, but common is not true.

  For there is often truth behind what's in the common view.

  And so it is the Herald's task that hidden truth to win To see behind the face without and find the face within.

  He goads his students into rage, he drives them into pain; He mocks them and he does not care that tears may fall like rain.

  He works them when they're weary, and rebukes them when they fail—

  Cuts them to ribbons with his tongue, as they stand meek and pale—

  And will our enemies be fair, or come on us behind?

  And will they stay their tongues or in their words a weapon find?

  Or wait till we are rested before making their attacks?

  Or will they rather beat us down and then go for our backs?

  But he has no compassion, does not care for man nor beast—

  And when a student's gone, he does not notice in the least—

  And no one calls this man their love, and no one calls him friend And none can judge him by his face, or what he may intend.

  But I have seen him speak the word that brings hope from despair—

  Or drop the one-word compliment that makes a student care—

  And I have seen his sorrow when he hears the Death Bell cry—

  His soul-deep agony of doubt that nothing can deny—

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  For on his shoulders rests t
he job of fitting us for war With nothing to give him the clue of what to train us for.

  And if he fails it is not he that pays, but you and I—

  And so he dies a little when he hears the Death Bell cry.

  And now you know the face within hid by the face without The pain that he must harbor, all the guilt and all the doubt.

  The Weaponsmaster has a heart; so grant his stony mask For you and I aren't strong enough to bear that kind of task.

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  Arrow's Flight

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Paul Espinoza

  (Talia: Arrow's Flight)

  Finding your center— not hard for a child—

  But I am a woman now, patterned and grown.

  Thrown out of balance, my Gift has run wild;

  Never have I felt so lost and alone.

  Now all the questions that I did not ask

  Come back to haunt me by day and by night.

  Finding your center— so simple a task—

  And one that I fear I shall never set right.

  Chorus:

  Where has my balance gone, what did I know

  That I have forgotten in Time's ebb and flow?

  Wrong or right, dark or light, I cannot see—

  For I've lost the heart of the creature called "me."

  Doubt shatters certainty, fosters despair;

  Guilt harbors weakness and fear makes me blind—

  Fear of the secrets that I dare not share—

  Lost in the spiral maze of my own mind.

  Knowing the cost to us all if I fail—

  Feeling that failure breathe cold at my back—

  All I thought strong now revealed as so frail

  That I could not weather one spiteful attack.

  An arrow in flight must be sent with control—

  But all my control was illusion at best.

  Instinct alone cannot captain a soul—

  Direction must be learned and not merely guessed.

  Seeking with purpose, not flailing about—

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  Trusting in others as they trust in me—

  Starting again from the shadows of doubt

  Gods, how I fear what I yet know must be!

  Chorus 2:

  Finding my center, and with it, control;

  Disciplined knowledge must now be my goal.

  Knowing my limits, but judging what's right—

  Till nothing can hinder the arrow in flight.

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  Fundamentals

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Kristoph Klover

  (Kris: Arrow's Flight)

  Ground and center; we begin

  Feel the shape inside your skin

  Feel the earth and feel the air—

  Ground and center; "how" and "where."

  Ground and center— don't just frown,

  Find the leaks and lock them down.

  Baby-games you never learned

  Bring you pain you never earned.

  Ground and center; do it, child

  If you'd tame that Talent wild—

  Girl, you learned it in your youth—

  Life's not fair, and that's the truth.

  Ground and center, once again;

  You're not finished— I'll say when.

  Ground and center in your sleep

  Ground and center 'till you weep.

  Ground and center; that's the way—

  You might get somewhere, someday.

  Yes, I know I'm being cruel

  And you're as stubborn as a mule!

  Ground and center, feel the flow

  Can you tell which way to go?

  Instinct's not enough, my friend—

  Make it reflex in the end.

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  Ground and center; hold it tight—

  Dammit, greenie, that's not right!

  (Every tear you shed hurts me,

  But that's the way it has to be.)

  Ground and center; good, at last!

  Once again; grab hard, hold fast.

  Half asleep or half awake—

  Both of us know what's at stake.

  Ground and center; now it's sure;

  What you have now will endure.

  Forgive me what I had to do—

  Healing hurts— you know that's true.

  Ground and center; lover, friend—

  You won't break, but now you bend

  Costly lesson, high the price—

  But you won't have to learn it twice!

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  Otherlove

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Leslie Fish

  (Talia: Arrow's Flight)

  I need you as a friend, dear one,

  I love you as a brother;

  And my body lies beside you

  While my heart yearns for another.

  I wonder if you understand—

  Beneath your careless guise

  I seem to sense uneasiness

  When looking in your eyes.

  I need your help, my friend, and I

  Had sworn to stand alone;

  How foolish were the vows I made

  My present plight has shown.

  But don't mistake my need for love

  However strong it seems—

  For while I lie beside you

  Someone else is in my dreams.

  I wish that I could know your thoughts;

  I only sense your pain—

  Unease behind the smile you wear—

  A haunted, sad refrain.

  I would not be the cause of grief—

  I've often told you so—

  Yet there's a place within my heart

  Where you, love, cannot go.

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  After Midnight

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Leslie Fish

  (Kris: Arrow's Flight)

  In the dead, dark hours after midnight

  When the world seems to stop in its place,

  You can see a little more clearly,

  You can look your life in the face;

  You can see the things that you have to—

  Speak the words too true for the day.

  In the dead, dark hours after midnight,

  Little friend, will you listen— and stay?

  In the time when I never knew you

  I could view the world as my own—

  I was God's own gift to his creatures,

  And I wore an armor of stone.

  I was wise and faithful and noble—

  I was pompous, pious and cold.

  I was cruel when I never meant it—

  Far too cool to touch or to hold.

  It was you who broke through my armor;

  It was you who broke through the wall,

  With your pain and your desperation—

  How could I not answer your call?

  How could I have guessed you would touch me,

  And in ways I could not control?

  How could I have known I would need you—

  Or have guessed you'd see to my soul?

  For as I taught you, so you taught me,

  Taught me how to love and to care—

  For your own love melted my armor,

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  Taught me how to feel and to dare.

  When I looked tonight, I discovered

  I could not again stand apart—

  In the dead, dark hours after midnight,

  I discovered I owe you my heart.

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  Sun and Shadow:—Meetings

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Leslie Fish

  (Kris: Arrow's Flight)

  (When the "long version" of "Sun and Shadow" is sung,
this is sung as a kind of prologue)

  She dances in the shadows; like a shadow is her hair.

  Her eyes hold midnight captive, like a phantom, fell and fair.

  While the woodlarks sing the measures that her flying feet retrace She dances in the shadows like a dream of darkling grace.

  He sings in summer sunlight to the cloudless summer skies; His head is crowned with sunlight and the heavens match his eyes.

  All the wildwood seems to listen to the singer's gladsome voice He sings in summer sunlight and all those who hear rejoice.

  She dances in the shadows, for a doom upon her lies; That if once the sunlight touches her the Shadowdancer dies.

  And on his line is this curse laid— that once the day is sped In sleep like death he lies until again the night has fled.

  One evening in the twilight that is neither day nor night, The time part bred of shadow, and partly born of light, A trembling Shadowdancer heard the voice of love and doom That sang a song of sunlight through the gathering evening gloom.

  A spell it cast upon her, and she followed in its wake To where Sunsinger sang it, all unheeding, by her lake.

  She saw the one that she must love until the day she died—

  Bitter tears for bitter loving then Shadowdancer cried.

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  One evening in the twilight e'er his curse could work its will, Sunsinger sang of sunlight by a lake serene and still—

  When out among the shadow stepped a woman, fey and fair—

  A woman sweet as twilight, with the shadows in her hair.

  He saw her, and he loved her, and he knew his love was vain For he was born of sunlight and must be the shadow's bane.

  So e'er the curse could claim him, then, he shed one bitter tear For he knew his only love must also be his only fear.

  So now they meet at twilight, though they only meet to part.

  Sad meetings, sadder partings, and the breaking of each heart.

  Why blame them, if they pray for time or death to bring a cure?

  For the sake of bitter loving, nonetheless they will endure.