20180531.0430

A bodyguard had stayed behind,
The Scald’s leader’s person to mind,
To that one in thrall,
As they had been all,
But more than most of them unkind.

20180530.0430

Some sought to offset their guilt
By saying how the Scald was built,
Letting the town know
That ere they could go
Far out, there’d be some see them killed.

20180529.0430

They knew they would ill reward gain
From having been sources of pain--
It was now delayed,
And justice was stayed,
But from that stay, some could refrain.

20180528.0430

Except for those whom they had slain
Or else made to bow to the strain
Of service reviled
And so them defiled
To their own joy and to folks’ pain.

20180527.0430

Yet why would they otherwise think
That from them the townsfolk would shrink?
They’d raged ‘cross the land
As part of that band,
And all had withdrawn from their brink

20180526.0430

The others saw how those had fared,
And to try to escape, no more dared.
They then well recalled
What was said in the Scald
And knew that they’d been ill-prepared.

20180525.0430

Upon them the earth soon did fall
As they thought for pity to call,
But though they did strive,
They were, bound but alive,
Interred; then their fear was not small.

20180524.0430

A grisly example each gave
As each one was sent to the grave.
None passed without sound
As they entered the ground,
But screamed as they thought them to save.

20180523.0430

Since they had mercy denied,
It was thought they’d chosen to die,
And Erdewyn stood
By for she well could
Not let their desire be belied.

20180522.0430

They fled as the chains still approached
And shackles upon them encroached,
But they got not far
Under sun, moon, or star,
But were caught by the townsfolk uncoached.

20180521.0430

Yet of not all could it be said
That they had good sense in their heads,
For some sought to flee,
Thought they could see
A way to be free and not dead.

20180520.0430

Then most to the chastisement bowed,
Grateful that they were allowed
To draw yet more breath
And so avoid death;
Against the mercy they weren’t proud.

20180519.0430

Thus Erdewyn her hand withdrew
And none of the captive ones slew--
But each was straight bound
To chains set in the ground,
And transgression’s reward each one knew.

20180518.0430

She knew, too, the folk of the town
Would by such an act be brought down
To full foul degree
If they did her see
The defenseless with her wrath pound.

20180517.0430

Erdewyn, hearing their deeds,
Was tempted then to anger heed
And slay every one,
Leave them undone--
But her even temper she’d need.

20180516.0430

Many who marched for the Scald
Were to it by money called,
But others it served,
Thus their homes preserved--
But for that, their deeds still appall.

20180515.0430

And none spared for gender or age,
Such was the height of the Scald’s rage
By its leader driven:
Its fighters, unshriven,
Did such for fear and for wage.

20180514.0430

Buildings razed down to the ground,
A burning hole where once was town,
Folk as slaves taken
And their souls shaken
By hard use, their spirits ground down,

20180513.0430

What they said left many in fear
That such a one stood to them near.
Such deeds were said done
By that ill-known one
That few could them easily hear.

20180512.0430

Yet none knew what that one was called
Who stood at the head of the Scald
Save for such words
As are often heard
To address leaders glor’usly halled.

20180511.0430

Most of those who had not fled
Drew no more breath, being dead,
A few had been taken
Alive, morale shaken,
And all that they knew, they soon said.

20180510.0430

Panting, the fighter arose
And looked about to find more foes,
But none around stood;
They’d fled, all who could,
And of their ends, nobody knows.

20180509.0430

Towards that, Erdewyn drew near,
And the townsfolk looked on in fear
As she the threat’s end
To it did hard send
To horror both of eye and ear.

20180508.0430

A danger in training to fight
Is that all that comes into sight
Will be viewed to harm
By anger-raised arm--
The needful can become a blight.

20180507.0430

Not all that is planted grows well,
As any who till earth can tell,
And even what grows,
As each grower knows,
Can grow not to goodness, but fell.

20180506.0430

Of violence, there’s ever a need
So long as some no reason heed;
Of a needful thing
We may well long sing,
But ‘ware what springs from such a seed.

20180505.0430

Nor yet did then did Erdewyn pause;
Her foe yet lived, so she had cause
To continue to rain
Down blows to great pain--
But woe to the one that such awes!

20180504.0430

Nor did Erdewyn then relent;
Her anger was far from yet spent,
And the foe at the knees
Was knocked down, like trees
Blown by wind and by storm rent.

20180503.0430

And so then endured was the blow
Levied against the new foe,
And, cracking, that arm
That had given harm
Was broken, the bludgeon let go.

20180502.0430

Such wrath did Erdewyn wield;
Against it, there could be no shield.
No dodging delay
Could the harm allay
When t’inflict it she was fully steeled.

20180501.0430

A stone that from past the sky falls
Or lightning that with thunder calls
Smites not with more harm,
Makes for no more alarm,
Than right anger that evil stalls.