Arrow's Fall Read online

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  Arrow's Fall

  Sun and Shadow

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Paul Espinoza

  (Talia and Kris: Arrow's Flight)

  "What has touched me, reaching deep

  Piercing my ensorceled sleep?

  Darkling lady, do you weep?

  Am I the cause of your grieving?

  Why do tears of balm and bane

  Bathe my heart with bitter rain?

  What is this longing? Why this pain?

  What is this spell you are weaving?"

  "Sunlight Singer, Morning's peer—

  How I long for what I fear!

  Not by my will are you here

  How I wish I could free you!

  Gladly in your arms I'd lie

  But I dare not come you nigh

  For if you touch me I shall die—

  If I were wise I would flee you."

  "Shadowdancer, dark and fell,

  Lady that I love too well—

  Won't you free me from this spell

  That you have cast around me?

  Star-eyed maid beyond compare,

  Mist of twilight in your hair—

  Why must you be so sweet and fair?

  How is it that you have bound me?"

  "In your eyes your soul lies bare

  Hope is mingled with despair;

  Sunborn lover do I dare

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  Arrow's Fall

  Trust my heart to your keeping?

  Sunrise means that I must flee—

  Moonrise steals your soul from me;

  Nothing behind but agony,

  Nothing before us but weeping."

  "Sun and Shadow, dark and light;

  Child of day and child of night,

  Who can set our tale aright?

  Is there no future but sorrow?

  Will some power hear our plea—

  Take the curse from you and me—

  Great us death, or set us free?

  Dare we to hope for tomorrow?"

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  Arrow's Fall

  The Healer's Dilemma

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Bill Roper

  (Devan: Arrow's Fall)

  My child, the child of my heart, though never of my name, Who shares my Gift; whose eyes, though young, are mine— the very same Who shares my every thought, whose skillful hands I taught so well Now hear the hardest lesson I shall ever have to tell.

  Young Healer, I have taught you all I know of wounds and pain—

  Of illnesses, and all the herbs of blessing and of bane—

  Of all the usage of your Gift; all that I could impart—

  And how you learned, young Healer, brought rejoicing to my heart.

  But there is yet one lessoning I cannot give to you For you must find your own way there— judge what is sound and true This lesson is the cruelest ever Healer had to teach—

  It is— what you must do when there are those you cannot reach.

  However great your Gift there will be times when you will fail There will be those you cannot help, your skill cannot prevail.

  When you fight Death, and lose to Him, or what may yet be worse You win— to find the wreck He left regards you with a curse.

  And worst of all, and harder still, the times when it's a friend Who looks to you to bring him peace and make his torment end—

  What will you do, young Healer, when there's nothing you can do?

  I can give only counsel, for the rest is up to you.

  This only will I counsel you; that if you build a shell Of armor close about you, then you close yourself in Hell.

  And if your heart should harden, then your Gift will fade and die And all that you have lived and learned will then become a lie.

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  My child, your Healing hands are guided by your Healing heart And that is all the wisdom all my learning can impart.

  You take this pain upon you as you challenge life unknown—

  And there can be no answer here but one— and that's your own.

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  Arrow's Fall

  Herald's Lament

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: C. J. Cherryh

  (Dirk: Arrow's Fall)

  A hand to aid along the road—

  A laugh to lighten any load—

  A place to bring a burdened heart

  And heal the ache of sorrow's dart—

  Who'd willing share in joy or tears

  And help to ease the darkest fears

  Or my soul like his own defend—

  And all because he was my friend.

  No grave could hold so free a soul.

  I see him in the frisking foal—

  I hear him laughing on the breeze

  That stirs the very tops of trees.

  He soars with falcons on the wing—

  He is the song that nightbirds sing.

  Death never dared him captive keep.

  He lies not there. He does not sleep.

  But— there is silence at my side

  That haunts the place he used to ride.

  And my Companion can't allay

  The loss I have sustained this day.

  How bleak the future now has grown

  Since I must face it all alone.

  My road is weary, dark and steep—

  And it is for myself I weep.

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  Arrow's Fall

  For Talia

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Larry Warner and Kristoph Klover

  (Dirk: Arrow's Fall)

  The lady that I cherish is enamored of a fool—

  A fool who lacks the wit to speak his mind,

  A fool who often wears a mask indifferent and cool, A fool who's often selfish, dense, and blind.

  The lady that I cherish is enamored of a fool—

  A fool too often wrapped in other cares,

  Forgetting that his singlemindedness is wrong and cruel To lock her out who gladly trouble shares.

  The lady that I cherish is enamored of a fool

  Who sometimes does not value what he holds

  Until his loneliness confirms 'twere time his heart should rule And the comfort of her love around him folds.

  But though he must have hurt her without ever meaning to Her temper never breaks and never frays,

  And she forgives whatever careless thing that he may do And loves him still despite his thoughtless ways.

  She only smiles and says that there is nothing to forgive—

  And I thank God she does so, for you see

  I fear without her love and care this poor fool could not live—

  The fool she loves and cherishes is me.

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  Arrow's Fall

  Kerowyn's Ride

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Leslie Fish

  (This is a fairly common song in Valdemar, although it originated several lands to the south.)

  Kerowyn, Kerowyn, where are you going,

  Dressed in men's clothing, a sword by your side, Your face pale as death, and your eyes full of fury, Kerowyn, Kerowyn, where do you ride?

  Last night in the darkness foul raiders attacked us—

  Our hall lies in ruins below—

  They've stolen our treasure, and the bride of my brother And to her side now I must go

  To her aid now I must go.

  Kerowyn, Kerowyn, where is your father?

  Where is your brother? This fight should be theirs.

  It is not seemly that maids should be warriors—

  Your pride is your folly; go tend women's cares.

  This is far more than a matter of honor

  And more than a matter of pride—

  She's only a child, all alone, all unaided

  Though foolish and reckless beside,

  Still now to her aid I must ride.

  Grandmother, sorce
ress, I need a weapon—

  I'm one against many— and I am afraid—

  For the bastards have bought them a fell wizard's powers—

  I can't hope to help her without magic aid.

  Kerowyn, granddaughter, into your keeping

  I now give the sword I once wore

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  "Need" is her name, yes, and great are her powers—

  She'll serve you as many before—

  Though her name be not found in men's lore.

  Grandmother, grandmother, now you confuse me—

  Was this a testing I got at your hand?

  Whence comes this weapon of steel and of magic

  And why do you put her now at my command?

  Kerowyn, not for the weak or the coward

  Is the path of the warrior maid.

  Yes my child, you've been tested— now ride with my blessing And trust in yourself and your blade.

  Ride now, and go unafraid!

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  Arrow's Fall

  Threes

  Lyrics: Mercedes Lackey

  Music: Leslie Fish

  (Again: a similar song from the same region as "Kerowyn's Ride" that migrated northward.)

  Deep into the stony hills, miles from town or hold A troupe of guards comes riding, with a lady and her gold She rides bemused among them, shrouded in her cloak of fur Companioned by a maiden and a toothless, aged cur.

  Three things see no end, a flower blighted ere it bloomed, A message that miscarries and a journey that is doomed.

  One among the guardsmen has a shifting, restless eye And as they ride, he scans the hills that rise against the sky He wears a sword and bracelet worth more than he can afford And hidden in his baggage is a heavy, secret hoard.

  Of three things be wary, of a feather on a cat

  The shepherd eating mutton, and the guardsman that is fat.

  Little does the lady care what all the guardsmen know—

  That bandits ambush caravans that on these traderoads go.

  In spite of tricks and clever traps and all that men can do The brigands seem to always sense which trains are false or true.

  Three things are most perilous— the shape that walks behind, The ice that will not hold you and the spy you cannot find.

  From ambush bandits screaming charge the packtrain and its prize And all but four within the train are taken by surprise And all but four are cut down as a woodsman fells a log; The guardsman and the lady and the maiden and the dog.

  Three things hold a secret— lady riding in a dream, The dog that sounds no warning, and the maid who does not scream.

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  Arrow's Fall

  Then off the lady pulls her cloak, in armor she is clad—

  Her sword is out and ready, and her eyes are fierce and glad.

  The maiden makes a gesture, and the dog's a cur no more—

  A wolf, sword— maid and sorceress now face the bandit corps.

  Three things never anger, or you will not live for long, A wolf with cubs, a man with power, and a woman's sense of wrong.

  The lady and her sister by a single trader lone Were hired out to try to lay a trap all of their own And no one knew their plan except the two who rode that day For what you do not know you cannot ever give away!

  Three things is it better, far, that only two should know—

  Where treasure hides, who shares your bed, and how to catch your foe!

  The bandits growl a challenge, and the lady only grins The sorceress bows mockingly, and then the fight begins!

  When it ends there are but four left standing from that horde—

  The witch, the wolf, the traitor and the woman with the sword!

  Three things never trust in; the maiden sworn as pure, The vows a king has given, and the ambush that is "sure."

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  Arrow's Fall

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