SIGMARR AND THE GLAYNOR

SIGMARR AND THE GLAYNOR ………………………….
The Bulls Head tavern was filled with the same men as it was
every night,, they just sat about their tables drinking the warm
ale and retelling tales and whispers by the fire… The same as every
night in this village…
Then suddenly thru the door bust a strange man,, a man with
much purpose about him…His yellow hair was braided tightly
and fell apon his shoulders and back,, he wore a wolfskin coat that
was draped across his shoulders to keep him warm thru the
winters frigid nights…
The door stood open,, and swirling snow enter the room from
behind this man,, wisps of vapor snow were shown all about this
strange man who now stood in the doorway,, for the tavern was
very warm and he was very cold…Many hours had he been about
riding in this midwinters fury,, with its snow and ice being cast
about him…There he stood,, a tall large man,, perhaps two hands
taller than any that was within the tavern that night,, not a man
to be ignored was he,, a man with a hurry and impatience about him,,
for time,, he had none to waste…

“I am Sigmarr of Kadermist,, and I seek the one called Ablorn,,
I want to speak to him now”,, he spoke in a loud and forceful voice
to all those in this tavern,, the men all looked about and whispered
at their tables,, but none came forth…

Closing the door behind him,, Sigmarr,, stepped forward to the
barkeep and gathered him by the shirt and lifted him up onto
the bar top…

“Where is Ablorn?,, I was told I could find him here at this tavern,,
he comes here every night,, I was told”,, Sigmarr had no time for
such foolish men,, he had no time to waste…

“He has not been here tonight” the barkeep gasped…

“Where is he??”…

“I haven’t seen him today,, perhaps the storm is too great for
him to come”…

“He will come,, I will wait for him”,, letting the barkeep go,,
Sigmarr ordered some warm ale and stew be brought to him
as he waited,, “also tend to my horse outside,, see that he is fed,,
and kept warm in the stable,, we will be traveling again this night”…

“Yes sir,, yes sir”,, the barkeep mumbled as he went to get some
stew and tend to Sigmarrs horse…

Sigmarr sat by the roaring fireplace at a small table in the corner,,
waiting for Ablorn to come,, he had no time for this,,
an hour or so passed and then Ablorn and two friends entered
the tavern,, joking and laughing and having a merry time,,
half-drunk they were…They ordered ale from the barkeep,,
and stood there drinking the ales as they came…Sigmarr did not
know these men or Ablorn,, he looked apon the barkeeps face,,
and the barkeep just gave him a slight nod…Sigmarr now stood
behind these three men,, much taller was he than any of the three
herdsmen there,, the barkeep looked apon the middle man,,
and Sigmarr put his hand apon the middle mans shoulder,,
Ablorn just shrugged it off,, as a drunken man would,,
he could not be bothered…

“Are you Ablorn”??,, Sigmarr asked…

“Yes I am”,, who wants to know”,, was Ablorns slurred reply…

Sigmarr then grabbed up Ablorn and took him from his friends,,
“I will have a word with you”,, and he sat him down at his small
table by the fire…

Ablorn,, looked like a worried man,, he looked back at his friends,,
there at the bartop,, but they did not move,, no help was coming
from Ablorns friends…

“I have come a great way to see you,, Ablorn,, I have been told
that you know where the Glaynor is,, tell me now”…

Ablorn looked confused and frighten,, as he sat with Sigmarr,,
“I don’t know where this Glaynor is that you speak of”,,
“who told you about me??”…

Sigmarr had no time for such games,, he grabbed Ablorn by the
neck and drew him nearer,,
“Tell me where the Glaynor is”,, he insisted…

“I,, I,, don’t know where it is…I…just heard about it that’s all”…

“From who??”…

“From a stranger I met at the Red Lion tavern in Flaemgar”..
“Who told you about the Glaynor?...

"When was this?” Sigmarr insisted…

“It,, it,, was about a month ago,, his name as I recall was Hiltasen,,
you might be able to find him there…that’s all I know”,,
Ablorn spoke sheepishly…“Let me go”…

Sigmarr threw Ablorn aside at the table,, and when he passed the
barkeep,, he left a gold coin for payment,, ten times what was the
normal price for a meal and hay for his horse…
Sigmarr rode thru the night and into the early morning,,
thru the blinding snow,, wind and sleet,, he had no time to waste,,
to the Red Lion tavern was his destination...
Bursting apon the Red Lions barkeep,, he asked where is Hiltasen,,
the barkeep did not know,, he was not there this hour,,
where is he Sigmarr insisted,, the barkeep told him that he lived
just 6 houses from here to the West…
Sigmarr traveled quickly to Hiltasens house,, and when the door
was opened just a crack,, he rushed in to find Hiltasen,,
past Hiltasens wife and children,, into the kitchen he went…
Hiltasen was there at the table eating his morning meal…

“Where is the Glaynor?”…

Hiltasen looked puzzled at Sigmarrs demand…
“I don’t know where it is”,, Hiltasen meekly replied...

Sigmarr then pushed Hiltasen face into his porridge dish,,
he had no time for such lies…

“I,, know a man who knows where it is”,, the words stumbled
from Hiltasen,, a pitiful little man…

“Where can I find this man?”,, where is he now?”...

“He stays at the Black Wagon Inn,, just 20 miles South of here
along the main road,, in Erstenlock,, I know he does”,,“He can tell
you where the Glaynor is”…

Thru the whirling snow and biting wind Sigmarr once again rode
with fury apon his horse that day,, no time to waste…
In the Black Wagon Inn Sigmarr found Kerjin at a small table,,
just sitting,, this was a different kind of man than the others that
Sigmarr had questioned… As Sigmarr approached Kerjin,,
Kerjin drew his knife and Sigmarr halted,, a different type of man…

“Where is the Glaynor??”,, “I must know”,, Sigmarr asked…

Kerjin just stared at Sigmarr,, pondering his reply,, into Sigmarrs
eyes he stared,, gathering what he could of this man before him..
Kerjin let down his knife then…

“It lies in the Lundoff caves,, 2 days hard ride North of here,,
in a cave along the river Otmude,, on the suns morning side,,
you can find it if you look,, its place is marked by fallen stones
along the path there”…

Sigmarr thanked Kerjin,, and hurriedly left that day,,
he had no time,, no time,, the Glaynor must be found…
2 days of hard riding thru the winter storm,, pausing only for his
horse to rest and be feed,, Sigmarr could not rest until the
Glaynor was his…
The river Otmude was partially frozen now,, amid winters grasp,,
the cave was there just as Kerjin had said it would be…
Sigmarr entered the cave cautiously,, and with his torch he
searched thru the darkness with his flickering light for the Glaynor,,
that he was told would be there... Sigmarr could not see what
awaited him in that cave…
It come apon him in an instant and coiled its great body around
Sigmarr,, he was trapped in the coils of that giant snake,,
he could not move or draw his knife or sword,, his arms were
tightly bound…Slowly the giant snake tightened its coils on Sigmarr,,
to crush its prey…Its tongue flickered, and darted tasting
Sigmarrs scent,, slowly it crushed Sigmarr for its meal…
Then suddenly arrows were about and they struck the great
serpent in its gleaming eye and about its head…
It released Sigmarr from its coils and as it tried to slither away
into the darkness,, Sigmarr flashed out with his sword and cut
the head off of this demon snake... Sigmarr then collapsed to
the ground,, breathing hard against the crushing that was done
to him,, looking behind him to the caves entrance Sigmarr saw
where the arrows had come from…Kerjin now stood at its mouth,,
and he came forward to help Sigmarr...

“Are you badly hurt?”,, Kerjin asked…

“No,, I will be fine,, I did not know such creatures where in
this cave”…

“Many such creatures lay within this cave,, both big and small,,
we must be careful,, for the scent of blood is in the air”…

“Do you know where the Glaynor is??” Sigmarr half pleaded…

“Yes,, I know exactly where it is,, I have seen it myself”,,
“It is just around the bend there”…

“Let us go then,, I have no time to waste”…

Around the bend in that cave the two men went,, with their
torches lit brightly,, so that they could see any dangers that
might be about…But no more dangers were there that night…
There along a rocky point they found the Glaynor,, a pale blue
flower with an iridescent glow and yellow buttercup leaves…
Three were there that night,, Sigmarr cut only one from that group,,
for one was all that he would hopefully need…
To the caves entrance and to their horses the two men scrambled,,
into the blinding snow once again,, Sigmarr had no time to waste
now that he had the Glaynor in his hand…Kerjin departed at the
path there and returned to the Black Wagon Inn…
Sigmarr rode rough and hard thru the white days and black
starless nights,, very hard,, for 3 days he rode,,
no time to waste,, he kept apon that horse,, his fingers gripping
tightly the horses reigns,, even tho the crushing from the serpent
snake gave him great pain with ever movement apon that ride…
He had no time for pain now,, he must ride,, no time to waste…
Finally the dawn broke and he could see his house in the distance,,
breaking thru his front door,, Sigmarr quickly ground up the
Glaynor and mixed with it with herbs and goats milk,,
and then put all this into a cup of warm ale…

“How is she??”,, he asked his wife as she stood by their
daughters bed…

“Her breathing is very faint now,, it is almost gone,,
it may be to late”…

Sigmarr then pressed the cup to his daughters lips and when
the cup was empty,, he collapsed on to the floor,, no more could
he do this day…With aching bones and a fevered chill
Sigmarr slept,, and when he awoke,, he went to his daughters bed,,
and just then she opened her eyes and lovingly smiled at him,,
all would be well in Sigmarrs house this day,, the Glaynor with its
magic powers had done its job,, the fever was broken and color
now returned to his daughters face…
A radiant smile for a loving father and mother…

Spring has come once again to Sigmarrs land and Krista dances
among the spring flowers,, just as any child does,, her smile gives
everyone she meets a warm heart…Sigmarr had saved his
daughters life that winter,, and now he returned apon the path
that he had ridden with such haste,, to the barkeep at the
Bulls Head tavern,, to Ablorn,, to the barkeep at the
Red Lion tavern,, to Hiltasen,, to each he gave a pouch of
gold coins,, and he asked them to forgive him for the way he had
treated them during his search for the Glaynor…
And to the Black Wagon Inn he went,, to thank Kerjin for his help,,
he offered Kerjin his landed deed,, but Kerjin would not take it,,
only a handshake would he accept…Two strangers once in that
winter past,, but no more,, like brothers they became,, and many
adventures did they journey apon,, but first they gathered up
some men and to the caves along the Otmude river they went,,
to slay all the creatures that were within,, and this they all did,,
only two were lost to the giant snakes,, only two,, they lie within
heroes graves now…Forever will their names be remembered…
The Glaynor flowers are now guarded both by day and by night,,
their magic powers can only be used for the most urgent of woes,,
not for every illness can they be used,, so they are guarded well…

This is just an old story that has been told many many times
at night,, along the campfires edge,, of Sigmarr and the Glaynor,,
About a fathers love for his child,, just an ancient fable that is told...
Or is it just a fireside fable that is told?...
Would you not seek the Glaynor,, if your child grew cold?.........