A Bard's Tale

Dear friends This evening I'll sing thee about a rider Who for a long time ago Rode across the lands In search for the meaning of himself And everything else on the Earth

Submitted by NecroLord — Feb 13, 2026

A day of spring in ancient times A rider so eager and proud Riding the way the eagles fly The road in misty shroud In search for answers that must be there To solve nature's mystiries To find out why he is there All secret to find and see Night fell over the day In dark woods - flames! Four old men sat around a fire Skyline reflected flames Telling stories of days passing by The rider saw their shades in haze He rode saw to them and told his aim The old men listened thoughtful on "Young man listen to what they say the road goes ever on" The rider heard their tales How one sees his fate by a glance Once in a century that night comes The night the skyfires dance Night fell over the day In the dark woods - flames! Four old men sat around a fire Skyline reflected flames Telling stories of days passing by The rider saw their shades in haze He rode saw to them and told his aim The old men listened thoughtful on "Young man listen to what they say the road goes ever on" "Take thy horse and ride up to the Windhills There is a lady who helped thee on thy way" So the rider left to ride with the westwind Horizon was red - there dawned a new day

Submitted by Pestilence — Apr 25, 2025

Into an ancient valley He rode alone Where the winds forgot howled cold And where no man dwelt There lived the Echo Hath been for ages before man The rider and the stallion were still Everything was still "Thou wanderst a ghost above thy head No voices, no whispers From earth below nor from heaven above Inside the labyrinth - forever!" The rider started downwards And wondered What could the Echo mean By her magic words? "Thou wanderst a ghost above thy head No voices, no whispers From earth below nor from heaven above Inside the labyrinth - forever?" The rider came up from the valley Still thinking the words of Echo He rode along a path through lowlands All the way he heard the Echo repeating herself The further he rode the more quiet became the voice "Thou wanderst a ghost above thy head No voices, no whispers From earth below nor from heaven above Inside the labyrinth - forever?"

Submitted by Corpse Grinder — Apr 25, 2025

Night fell upon the world All there asleep but the rider Birdsong echoed no more Horizon bathed in fire From behind the cloudwall they came Myriad in numbers - the sky filled with flames "Fires, be my guide! Show me there to ride!" And the fires formed a sea Showed him waves, pointed towards east "There is my sign! Drawn on to the sky!" Like the old man hath told That night hath to be the one When nature is asleep The skyfires begin to dance From behind the cloudwall they came Myriad in numbers - the sky filled with flames "Fires, be my guide! Show me there to ride!" And the fires formed a sea Showed him waves, pointed towards east "There is my sign! Drawn on to the sky!" Time passed so fast Morning arised The rides had fallen asleep The first rays from sun Opened his eyes He knew not if he had been dreaming He remembered the night Skyfires dance Something there was so enchanting How could the fires Obey his command Come into his eyes dancing With the mourning he rose Strong was his faith - he would find The answer to his question Again returned the night to his mind From behind the cloudwall they came Myriad in numbers - the sky filled with flames "Fires, be my guide! Show me there to ride!" And the fires formed a sea Showed him waves, pointed towards east "There is my sign! Drawn on to the sky!"

Submitted by SerpentEve — Apr 25, 2025

Through vast landscapes he rode towards east Until he felt the salty odour in his nose The sound of waves come from far away Under all thorns he found the rose A moment later the infinity opened Foaming waves splashing onto the sands Notes began to surround his ears Carrying message from foreign lands So sang the sea...

Submitted by Corpse Grinder — Apr 25, 2025

"Shadows are marching closer The maiden in tower is getting old Those years passed all of a sudden The winds that blow are so cold Autumn calls... Thy wings can't fly These wings can't bear thee high towards the moon Thou see, the quest is not all Thy wings can't fly These wings can't bear thee high thou soar "Tis worth it..? Hear the autumn call Thou are the midst of labyrinth Search so long - there is no exit Say goodbye to the warm breath of summer Northwind comes - skyfires are lit Thy wings can't fly These wings can't bear thee high towards the moon Thou see, the quest is not all Thy wings can't fly These wings can't bear thee high thou soar "Tis worth it..? Hear the autumn call The answer is the two oaks in woods The answer is the two oaks in woods The answer is the two oaks in woods Hear the autumn call"

Submitted by MetalElf — Apr 25, 2025

Once again left the rider With no clue where to do Helpless and frustrated He began to wander in woe He wandered here and where Without a place to go Nights fell and days damned Onwards he just rode The trees dropped their leaves Soon the first snow would fall A lonely rider was sleeping Beside the ancient stonewall "Behing the wall is a realm no man dares to go There thou find the answers... or not... Wise and old is the keeper of the stone The stone sees days - passed and to come" The rider heard the voice Whispering these words Where it came or who it was A delusion he had heard? Snowflakes drew a picture Right on his eyes A line of hills behind forest Where dusk colours the sky "Behing the wall is a realm no man dares to go There thou find the answers... or not... Wise and old is the keeper of the stone The stone sees days - passed and to come" When the sun appeared over the woods on the horizon The rider sat thinking was it a dream or real In a moment he mounted the horse, began to search For a gate to enter the unknown realm

Submitted by Corpse Defiler — Apr 25, 2025

Three miles east he found a molten gate Entered through it into the unknown in fear Enchanted his horse carried him to his fate Across moors not to walked for a hundred years In a cave of the furthest hills Dwelleth a man so old Has seen trees grow and fade In the ancient lands cold Keeper of the Stone of Ages Knowing future and past Stormwind his name, a soothsayer His wisdom was vast "What do thou seek?" asked Stormwind behind his cloak "A path of life, the meaning of me" "Why do thou wander then? The answer is two oaks!" "I know, but now will I reach it? Lead!" In a cave of the furthest hills Dwelleth a man so old Has seen trees grow and fade In the ancient lands cold Keeper of the Stone of Ages Knowing future and past Stormwind his name, a soothsayer His wisdom was vast "Stormwind the Soothsayer Stormwind Set me free! Stormwind the Soothsayer Stormwind! Help me, please!" In a cave of the furthest hills Dwelleth a man so old Has seen trees grow and fade In the ancient lands cold Keeper of the Stone of Ages Knowing future and past Stormwind his name, a soothsayer His wisdom was vast "Let me be and go!"

Submitted by Immortal — Apr 25, 2025

Out of the misty forest The rider came tired and dawncast A chilly night was descending The first snows fell forever it would last Spirits of the woods they do remember The rider who had wandered for a hundred years Shadows of the night can be heard whispering His name that flows in many mortal tears The night he was his father Dark and cold where the brothers in his kin The moon she was his mother The sisters hi hath where hate, woe and sin Spirits of the woods they do remember The rider who had wandered for a hundred years Shadows of the night can be heard whispering His name that flows in many mortal tears Lonely and disappointed He turned his horse back towards his home When he left it the first flowers of spring bloomed Ah, memories old... Spirits of the woods they do remember The rider who had wandered for a hundred years Shadows of the night can be heard whispering His name that flows in many mortal tears

Submitted by Morgoth — Apr 25, 2025

The path to home seemed so strange Fades trees in twilight Many things he remembered has changed New people stared him like a ghost He rode across the village To the last cottage's door There he saw two oaks standing As proud as a century before Suddenly he began to understand The meaning of the signs This is his home where he belongs The answers he could here find In vain he wandered across the lands On and on and on and on The nature showed the answer is The two oaks... The labyrinth was he quest When thou enter there is no exit To understand it took his life He has only some weeks to cry The meaning of oneself Is searching only in vain It is a secret of nature And so shall it remain Suddenly he began to understand The meaning of the signs This is his home where he belongs The answers he could here find In vain he wandered across the lands On and on and on and on The nature showed the answer is The two oaks... The nature told him so many times How futile was his voyage The echo, the sea - he did not listen In dreams lieth his world Suddenly he began to understand The meaning of the signs This is his home where he belongs The answers he could here find In vain he wandered across the lands On and on and on and on The nature showed the answer is The two oaks...

Submitted by VladTheImpaler666 — Apr 25, 2025