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She thought to treat Þurn as she’d Stan,
Do to him as she’d done Owran;
Her confidence grew,
For she her strength knew,
And thought she knew how things did stand.

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And Erdewyn went for the head,
The one by whom others were lead,
Sought to thrown Þurn down,
Leave him on the ground
As he sought to leave others: dead.

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But others went against the flame
And sought to deny that foul name
Given to the band
Of the sort called brigand
That their town and lives sought to claim.

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Some to the arrows did fall
With sadness and pain in the call
That each would give out
And so leave no doubt
That the Scald did many people gall.

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Another group marched on the town
With orders to burn it all down.
Not for naught was called
That group the name “Scald,”
For often, they left blackened ground.

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Archers, he sent out to rain
Death from the sky with great pain
On those who’d resist,
And them, the steel kissed
That tipped the shafts loosed, unrestrained.

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Instead, he divided his host,
Sending each section to most
Effect to be gained
To leave the town pained
And of Erdewyn make a ghost.

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So when Owran’s host was brought down,
Þurn did not move against the town
Or charge headlong in
Only to begin
To make of himself some strange clown.

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To return...

From his peers, Þurn was a different sort.
Where Owran raged, he would comport
Him calmly, indeed,
And Stan would him heed
Who met with most others retort.

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Four years ago, my wife and I had to evict a tenant who was living with us. She had never signed a lease agreement, but just kind of showed up one day, entirely unexpectedly. It was a shock, at first, but my wife and I gradually grew accustomed to the idea of having her around. Really, we looked forward to learning more about her.

Then, on this day in 2014, she broke the plumbing in her little room all to hell, and we had to evict her right then. It would have been a health hazard, you see, so we had to act quickly. And there were concerns about doing so, to be sure, but they all seemed to resolve themselves in good time.

In the years since, she has stayed with us. Each day, it seems we love her a little bit more--and that's adding up to an awful damned lot!

Happy Birthday, my dear little Ms. 8, and I look forward to saying it to you many more times in many years to come!

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This Þurn did spy from afar
With eyes peering over a scar
That bridged his broad nose
And signaled the woes
He’d suffered when some would him bar.

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And so those who lived in the town,
Seeing her deeds of renown,
Made to do their own
And protect their home,
And they soon brought Owran’s host down.

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Matters still stood less than well,
As any who face such can tell,
But there was yet hope;
The people could cope
Instead of hearing only death’s knell.

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Whatever ‘twas gave her her power,
She showed it well there in that hour,
Defeated her foe
So that all could know
The plight they faced was not so dour.

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Perhaps it was in staying home
Instead of seeking fame to roam
That she found the power
She showed in that hour
And for which she would become known.

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It was as a god had come down
To protect the small, besieged town
In Erdewyn’s form.
Yet she bucked the norm
And went not out to seek renown.

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He soon came into her arms’ reach,
And she him his folly did teach.
Each foot- and fist-blow
Did her learning show,
And how Owran suffered with each.

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Viler he grew with each word,
And they quailed who his utterance heard,
Cowered in fright,
Held back from the fight--
Save Erdewyn, who stood undeterred.

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He said that he’d done all before
To women and men by the score,
Left them all broken,
From each, claimed a token
And revelled in the claiming’s gore.

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As he approached, he declared
He’d do to her all that he cared,
Spoke in great detail
Her fate should she fail,
Thinking that she would be scared.

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So it was that he went alone
To slay her with fist like a stone
And foot like a blade
By mighty forge made--
But by her the outcome was known.

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Owran’s troops knew not to go
Where they were not bidden, or show
For any concern,
Lest they would all burn--
For they their fates doing did know.

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He answered her flyting with rage,
In doing so, stepped on a stage
To play out a part
She knew in her heart
Would soon hold him in a strait cage.

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She proved then the truth of his word,
For when he her insults had heard,
Owran stepped ahead
Of those whom he led;
His face showed him more than perturbed.

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An angry opponent, he said,
Was one that was easily led,
So easy to beat,
And opponents’ defeat
Is the end of the path we should tread.

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She went on, and her words grew quite vile
As she sought an opponent to rile,
For her old master,
The late Oðoæster
Had suggested such for a long while.

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At least, she said, that one called Stan
Had in him the strength to stand
And fight on his own.
His valor was shown--
Though his wit was in no demand.

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Erdewyn stood in their way,
Said that they’d not have the day,
For who could have power
Who from her would cower?
It was not all she did say.