"For Love and Land" by Ri Herring

For Love And Land: A Hero’s Tale

A soldier brave had earned a name,

As greatest of them all.

In battle grim he saved his King

From bitter death and fall.

His grateful ruler offered him

Rewards both great and grand,

"My Lord," He said, "I’d love naught more

Than thy maiden daughter’s hand.

The proud king laughed to hear this,

And scornf’lly told him nay,

He jeer’d "If you could prove you’re worthy

Of my family name,

"Then you shall have my daughter’s hand,

And my kingdom, too!

What do you take me for? A fool?

There’s no royal blood in you!"

That night he met his lady fair,

Beneath the silver moon.

She softly bade him "Fare thee well,

Return to me, and soon."

She pled with him to take her father’s

Word, and win her hand.

To do abroad his noble deeds,

And earn both Love and Land.

Then she kissed him sweet and tenderly,

With longing, misty eyes,

And he ran his hand down her sun-gold hair,

With many sad good-byes.

And then the soldier made a vow,

By his own blood and hand,

That to that place he’d not return,

‘Till he’d won Love and Land.

When dawn had come, he rode away,

Into the morning grey.

And then the proud king laughed, and said

"I’ve seen him last today."

But the princess watched from her window high,

While the stars went out above,

And she called after him and the rising sun

"Return to me, my love."

He rode throughout the whole wide earth,

By roads both bright and dim,

Along the way he left his noble

Deeds to speak for him.

He battled undead armies dark,

In many a gruesome fray,

And though his heart was in it not,

He always won the day.

Of vampires cruel, and werewolves sly

He rid the lands he passed.

And slew a serpent of the sea,

‘Twas cold and strong and vast,

And once he’d slain the wicked thing,

He stripped it of it’s scales,

And took them, shimmering silver-blue,

To make a suit of mail.

He entered into Dragonscave,

On one much sung of day,

And braved the glowing Dragonsflood,

It’s occupant to slay.

He fought the creature all the day,

And into moonless night.

And all the world could hear the noise

Of that colossal fight.

He finally slew that flame-breathed wyrm,

When day was dawning bright.

He took it’s wings for golden cloak,

And swiftly took to flight.

And men would ever after tell,

And bards and poets sing

Of the warrior clad in silver-blue,

With cloak of Dragonwing.

He wandered on his lonely way,

And everywhere he went,

He left the land of evil free,

And onward, still he went.

He joined the elves a-hunting,

And with them sounded horn,

He searched through silver misted woods

To speak with unicorns.

He fought in many a tourney game,

And easily won them all.

He climbed to cloud-crowned mountain top,

Where e’en the snow won’t fall.

He watched the wars of centaurs,

As in battle clan met clan.

And felt how with their pounding hooves

They roughly shook the land.

He traveled to a mountain peak

Where gryphon’s eyrie lies,

And tamed the wild wingcat,

And rode it through the skies.

He spoke with dwarves upon the way

Of news throughout the world,

He swam the sea, with mermaids fair,

And saw their halls of pearl.

He rode the mighty Pegasus,

Of living silver made.

He wandered into forests dark,

And slept in faerie glade.

He fought a band of werecats,

In a lonely mountain cave.

He let them live, but kept their tails,

To teach them to behave.

He lived in every child’s heart,

In many a fireside song,

In ballads monsters he would slay,

In tales he did no wrong,

And sometimes men would glimpse him,

And they’d know the tales were true,

Of the wing-cloaked knight with nine cat’s tales

And clad in silver-blue.

And so he came again, at last,

To the land from which he came,

And there before the king he stood,

And his prize he claimed.

But the proud king only met him

With laughter loud and deep.

For his had been a vow that he

Had never meant to keep.

And then each castle chamber rang,

As the brave knight loudly cried

"Is it not enough for you

that in tale and song I ride?"

Is it not enough for you

That every thing of dread

Has fallen to my sword or bow,

And I have ta’en it’s head?

I’ve proved myself far better than

Your blood could e’er have done!

Now I demand my promised prize!

Both Love and Land I’ve won!"

And then the proud king, filled with fear,

Bid his soldiers fall

Upon the warrior. Grave mistake.

He quickly slew them all.

Then ran the princess to him,

And he took her to his side,

And fought his way from out that place,

And through the noise she cried

"I’ll go with you, for love and land!"

She spoke without a doubt.

He wrapped her in his golden cloak,

And set her on his mount.

They rode away, and wandered far,

He showed her all he’d seen.

The mountain tops, the ocean deeps,

The rolling fields so green.

And many after that would tell

In ballad and in tale,

Of how a knight and lady fair

Road over hill and dale.

And how The knight with nine cat’s tales,

Was clad blue, shimmering,

And how his lady with golden locks

Was cloaked with Dragonwing.

They had their love to warm their hearts,

For help each others’ hands.

And all the world was theirs, indeed,

They had both Love and Land.

They still live on in tale and song,

And many will swear they’re true,

Of the warrior brave with nine cat’s tales,

All clad in silver-blue.

And how he’d ride across the world,

And how he’d dance and sing

With his princess love whose sun gold hair

Shamed her cloak of Dragonwing.