(or how I met my companions)
by Windy the Windling Wanderer

Chorus:
Past the cover of the book,
beneath the surface you must look.
Learn what hides beneath the skin,
past the face without, to the face within.

Lost long ago in ancient war,
a treasure of the house of Dorr,
found now by the family's son,
Kin's luck returned and his fame won,
he bided the night in a humble inn,
four companions and the brave Darin.
Knowing the evil that rode in the night,
they rose to leave before first light.

(Chorus)

Seeking food downstairs they came,
where sat a windling - Windy by name.
She said hello, excited at the meeting
But only one acknowledged her greeting.
Krell Tann of Urupa, a man fair of face,
Returned the welcome with charm and grace.
After paying respects to the troubadour lady,
to the table and Darin, his way made he.

Even before the first song of the lark,
an evil crept nearer out of the dark.
Following scant trail, they'd come a fair way,
and now, at last, were in sight of their prey.
Two figures approached the back door,
one dwarf, one elf, no less, no more.
Grateful for darkness that faces hid,
open the door, the lady they bid.

(Chorus)

With a squeak of the hinge, opened the portal,
lighting a face at which obsidimen chortle.
Like two bushy catapilars, brows sat on his head,
covering beady eyes like quilts on a bed.
His ears are tapered into two fine tips:
the right one points back, the left one drips.
A finer point still was made by his chin,
topped off by lips both puckered and thin.

His teeth are a size to fit in a horse,
his jaw is too small to hold them of course.
His cheeks hold the color of the newly deceased,
pock-marked and scared with many a crease.
His hair is the color of drought blighted hay,
it doesn't lie straight, but flies where it may.
The elf was not touched by the scourge,
His face was an accident of birth and forge.

(Chorus)

The elf's face held one redeeming good;
He made the dwarf look better than he should!
Looking upon them, the cook let them in,
then turned to their bundle, avoiding faces dark as sin.
Taking from the warrior her newly forged kettle,
She admired the weaponsmith's working of the metal.
"My thanks" Kavros said, "If it would not impose,
we haven't eaten since we rose."

Grateful for the kettle, made so very fast,
she dished up stew and served a light repast.
The warrior and weaponsmith pulled stools to the table
as the evil came closer, creeping 'round the stable.
Carefully timed, the orks made their attack,
four coming in the front, while two came in the back.
Knocking down the cook, one charged through,
only to be blinded by Argen's flying stew.

(Chorus)

Stew covering his face like egg,
the ork lost his left leg,
then the dwarven warrior Argen
came in and finished him.
Drawing a mighty blade
"Enter, Ork" the weaponsmith bade.
Thus, Kavros the homely elf
killed the second ork himself.

In the front the other four
crashed through the window and the door.
Startling those within the inn,
they attacked the party of the brave Darin.
In the battle, in the common room,
two companions met their doom.
Fatally injured in the fight,
They embraced eternal night.

(Chorus)

Defenses weakened by the two death stole,
three strangers stepped in to fill the hole.
Deadly arrows flew down the stair,
from Gorian the archer who stood there.
Slaying orks, John the Skyraiding Troll
and his battleaxe took the staring role.
Even the troubadour did her part,
letting loose with a windling dart.

No sooner did the battle begin,
than it was over - to Darin the win.
Fate was cruel to the orken band.
The first one died at Krell Tann's hand.
Two more fell under John's blade,
and the last, a hasty retreat made.
Two of Darin's companions had gone down,
leaving eight survivors to look around.

(Chorus)

Elias, a swordmaster, of Darin's band
went to a fallen comrade to give him a hand.
No help was needed for in the strife
that poor dwarf had lost his life.
Seeing this action, then Krell Tann
went to check the other downed man.
Cut cross the gut he struggled to breathe
until Krell's final blow made his paid ease.

Darin thanked these folks for their aid
and offered to see the effort repaid.
Looking at comrades, recently lost,
he once more regretted the bloody cost.

He looked at the adepts and asked if they may,
consider accompanying him the rest of the way.
The five adepts agreed. They went to a grove,
and buried the dead in graves Windy's song shrove.

(Chorus)

So the eight went on their way,
before the sun rose to midday.
Foolish Windy chose the handsome man
and traveled beside charming Krell Tann.
Of foreign places and people he talked,
charming the Windling while they walked.
The rest of the day was quite uneventful
and that night their sleep was restful.

Again the next day when Krell did wink
Windy traveled beside him, she just didn't think.
She'd forgotten a lesson she learned in her youth
Look inside not out to find beauty and truth.
Many long hours they whiled away,
Windy listening to everything Krell did say.
Darkness fell and going to her rest,
Windy wished Krell goodnight and settled in her nest.

(Chorus)

Krell Tann did not go to his bed.
He had greedy plans within his head.
Waking Windy, he said "Evil brews",
Then he grabbed her before she knew.
Treating her as a worthless rag,
he sealed the windling in a bag.
Windy with Berrybriar's bright blade,
A hole in the leather bag made.

Orks came out of the night
To cover Krell while he took flight.
Elias and John were hit on the head,
then they were left for dead.
Two adepts were not knocked out:
Kavros and Gorian put the Orks to rout.
They ran to check on brave Darin,
but Dorr had lost its treasure again.

(Chorus)

Not his bruises which the attack brought,
Not the medallion which he had long sought,
The first concern of Darin the Brave,
is for Argen, whose wound is quite grave.
The short sword which from the wound juts,
shows it was Krell who spilled Argen's guts.
Son the other gather around their new friend,
fearing his life may soon meet its end.

Seeing his pain, Kavros the elf
bent to check Argen's wound himself.
Cut cross the gut he struggled to breathe
and Kavros sought to make the pain ease.
"Chase the betrayer", the others he bade,
"While I go forth to seek Argen aid."
With that Kavros ran off through the wood
seeking to help as best he could.

(Chorus)

With that Darin preparations made
to defend Argen with a blade.
The others went off to seek the path
Krell had taken to escape their wrath.
Running fast through green trees,
Kavros rustled through the leaves,
Until he reached a quiet farm,
seeking aid to soothe the harm.

Asking the farmers for their aid,
he said that any price would be paid.
They refused having seen his face,
'til spoke a woman with kindness and grace.
"When for Garlen I began to quest,
I promised to always do my best.
Any cry for help I must heed:
I shall answer your companions need."

(Chorus)




The others had started to follow Krell
through his trail was hard to tell.
Through cold woods which made them shiver,
the followed him to the bank of a river.
In order to make following him harder,
he had run through the water.
First they repelled a lizard attack,
then to camp they headed back.

There they found Kavros and the maid
had come in time to Argen's aid.
Jena with her healing hands
had returned Argen to their band.
From their injuries Argen and Ellis needed to rest,
leaving the others to continue the quest.
Leaving Darin the injured to guard,
rode forth weaponsmith, skyraider, archer, and bard.

(Chorus)

Through the night they followed Krell's path,
the passing hours not soothing their wrath.
Until, at last, they saw him ahead,
as sunrise turned clouds a bloody red.
With this they increased their pace,
not willing to lose the traitor they chased.
He finally took a stand on a cliff top,
when the river below forced him to stop.

He stood upon the cliff's rocky edge,
as the river sped past far below the ledge.
Krell drew his long sword in a bind,
as his short sword was left far behind
Buried deep in Argen's side.
The evidence of crime he did not hide:
Eyes shining with the greed he felt,
The medallion dangled from his belt.

(Chorus)

As Windy flew at him to distract,
Kavros began to make the attack.
The elf's sword was paired with the troll's
as Gavin's arrows took their toll.

Snatching back the medallion Krell stole,
Windy recovered Darin's quest's goal.
Realizing the fight was a rout,
over the cliff, Krell took his way out.

A single bloody smear was left to tell,
of the impact when Krell fell.
No other sign could Windy find,
to prove Krell's death in Windy's mind.
Now let me add this final word,
to end the tale you have heard.
An ugly face does less harm
than a fair traitor's charm.

(Chorus)