By Master Hector of the Black Height
Ebb and flow, ebb and
flow
Wave on rocks, wash
and falter
Wave of honour, wave
of tears
Fell for friends far
lost and gone
Like the waves they
lined that day
Wave and wave, steel
and sinew
Coursed to crash on
rocks and crags
That lined the breach
they hoped to lop
Like the waves they
laughed that day
Sea-dew sparkle on
sunlit steel
Stood they, waves in
serried ranks
Like the tide, turned
east to roar
Carthage's son stood
firm the first
Seaman, soldier,
wave-point aimed
With marines and
soldiers many
Poised to pounce,
lines flowing free
Followed Aeden,
long-armed fighter
Gray-beard girt in
steel and arms
Cap of waves, the
warrior captain
Waiting walk on
blooded foam
Came the morning,
forth the many
Waves all tumbling
towards the east
Wave on wave behind
fair Freemen
Signed to spend
themselves full well
Came the tide surge,
came cruel battle
Waves and troughs,
rude crash and roar
Forward Carthage! On
Kincora!
On to Eastrealm's
point and edge
Towering wave cap,
poised to tumble
But the broken rhythm
Ruined the symmetry of
the tide race
Pierced on points of
Eastern shore
Vain the struggle, and
yet valiant
Wave on wave enfold,
not free
Elandris fallen,
foemen facing
Wounds before him,
marines close by
Wave on wave, then
waves fell on them
Trident seas of spears
unchallenged
Lost was Grimwulf,
then Alasdair
Keening Shinan
standing o'er him
Roared Rhys Mordwyn,
well-spring warrior
Roared o'er crashing
sword and spear
"On Trimarans, On
Merkfalans
"Come and race
the tide today!"
Surged the east,
scourged the coast
Glandydd fell, his
steel still singing
As he fell 'midst many
comrades
Northern waves lapped
eastern legs
Forward Aeden,
laughing graybeard
Saw his time come, met
the moment
Gleeful captain, wave
at full course
Meeting fate his
wounds in front
Eastrealm circle all
around them
Fate washed o'er them,
fore and back
Cast was Edward far
like flotsam
Lone and lanced, to
fight and fall
Cast on rocks was
Northern mettle
Rocks of iron, rocks
of gold
Shoni's fate fell with
King's guardsmen
Tide pool caught
'midst towering crags
Slain from Skraeling
was their finest
Cry, for Cordigan
sings no more
Shed your tears in
distant Steinbach
For Northern foemen
felled and still
There fell all who
came campaigning
Surged in file to meet
their fate
Ruddy ripples reached
for succour
Distant wavelets skirt
the shore
Ebb and flow, ebb and
flow
Waves on rocks, wash
and falter
Waves of honour, wave
of tears
Fallen for the drear
day gone(copyright Arthur McLean 1991-2000)
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