Starkhafn’s Dragon
© 2004 Joe and Rebecca Duval
… a song recalling one rathermemorable adventure to the
Barony of Starkhafn
September, A.S. XXXV
It happened one day at the end of a journey
To the far eastern marches of the land of Caid
We packed our belongings and traveled together
To visit our cousins in their own Barony.
‘Twas Conrad, himself, who would offer us welcome
And a parcel of land for our Starkhafn home
He promised refreshments, Norse games and a sheep toss
And there would be fighting, so we unpacked our load.
We set to work quickly with anticipation
But now something made us stop dead in our feet
We fell to the ground as the earth shook around us,
And struggled to breathe in a sweltering heat.
And we stood strong against an inferno
That threatened our loved ones so dear
And we prayed as our lives flashed right past our eyes
And wondered if it would end here.
We held fast together and then watched, in horror
As a fire-wall came and laid claim to our own
Tossing and toasting our cherished pavilion
Our possessions now scattered and burned on the road.
We called out for mercy and looked to the heavens
And into the eye of a towering beast
One born of the bowels of this stark, barren wasteland
In the far eastern marches of the land of Caid
We realized, at once, he had come for a picnic
This fire-beast feasting on us with his eye
He had spotted the roof under which we’d been hiding
‘Twas give him the roof, or ‘twas our time to die.
And we stood face to face with the dragon,
And we never admitted defeat
‘Till we tied down our load and took to the road,
Potrero had ne’er looked so sweet.
Now, later that day, heading home from this journey
From the far eastern marches of the land of Caid
We spotted a castle, a shimmering jewel
Rising out of the bowels of this stark Barony
‘Twas Black Jack, himself, who would offer us welcome
And rest for the weary in his Starkhafn home
He promised us cocktails, games of chance and a buffet,
‘Twas all-you-can-eat, so we unpacked our load.
And we sat face to face with the dragon
And we never admitted defeat
Split our eights to a man, for we knew he must stand
Twenty-one made our victory sweet.
Now we smile as we relive this memory
Of that dragon and our contest with him
And the money we earned from the lesson we learned
Bet it all, or lose more when you win.