Song Of The Ancient

<br>The song I perceive as I wander through the woods through the<br>dim light of dawn, lilts as it?s carried on soft shifting winds<br>through the stillness of this early morn.<br><br>"Upon the hill, east of the woods, the old man stood rapt in<br>thought; gazing, contemplative and lost in himself. His old hands,<br>fingers long and thin, but rugged, grasped the wooden staff. It<br>was familiar in his hand; crooked yet strong. How many times?<br>How often had he before this stood on this very place, lost within<br>himself; rapt in reflection? A light breeze swelled about him<br>ruffling his hair and wisps of beard, grey with age and wisdom of<br>years. He had seen much, experienced much and known friends<br>in the Hidden Lands. But that was before; before the Fall.<br>Glancing downward, a sea of activity, the forest teeming with life<br>and lives. But lives are merely a doorway wherethrough can be<br>expressed the nature of the Ancient; the one who abides within<br>the Hidden Lands. The old man thinks `I am become not what<br>was intended but through intent am become.` And so, in servitude<br>to human heart, he made forfeit that which was his; the intangible<br>for the tangible, the imperishable for the mortal."<br><br>By now I am intoxicated by the surreality of the tale, viewing<br>myself in the old man, and at last it dawns and I realise the very<br>nature of mankind, and of myself, and I lay down to cry.<br><br>"In his youth, the Old man wielded the Garensword, but not now.<br>And yet, the legend holds that one day, Man shall wield the<br>two-edged blade once more to the conquest of nations and<br>strongholds and powers beyond this realm."<br><br>I raise my eyes as the song comes to an end and a stranger<br>approaches as though she`s a friend. Extending her hand I accept<br>it and rise. Standing, she looks into my eyes. "De-nyl, we have a<br>long way to go. There is so much, too much, that I have to show you."<br><br>"If the truth is what you seek, it is only with the Ancient whose<br>face is never seen. He remains within the Hidden Lands and may<br>only be reached with the Garensword in hand. Let us depart from this place."<br><br>I was relieved to learn that I would not be alone in my quest. For<br>that day, Destiny became my guide. I released my falcon, the bird<br>soaring high and free above the forest canopy. And yet there<br>remained within my heart the lingering memory of that tragic Fall;<br>the wretched nature of mankind and of myself. Am I who I think I am?<br>Am I even alive?