Submitted: 2 January 1998


The Originals

by Ailill Dreaghnean

(Crossing, Zoluren)

Looking older than his tender years, worn down with sadness, Ailill draws his bow across his maple fiddle. An almost plaintive note floats from his instrument.

"I wrote this to honor the Original Bards in the realm. I tried to remember their names from the first days of the guild. I joined that first day, ending a bright career in the woodland ways, and have never regretted." "But now, as I but rarely see these great teachers, and sadly note their passing from amongst us, I am urged to sing again the lay I composed in their honor."

"Remember the with me, and recall the early days when our craft again returned to glory, and the Great Singers wo restored it!"

 
The Dancer's Band

We feast, we feast, we feast and then we dance
We gather here to worship, then we feast and then we dance.

Briggania had a fiddle that she played upon her chin
And the music that she made invited dancers to come in
With a song within her heart and a song within her hand
And the dancers all delighted whe she joined in the band.

Agraynel for a birthday got a bodhran for a gift
And she learned to play that bodhran not a rhythm beat she missed
Whether beat to tap your toe or a waltz across the land
And the dancers all delighted when she joined in the band.

Darkel had a mandolin he played upon his knee
And he played those many strings inviting dancers liberty
He played magic in his heart with the magic in his hand
And the dancers all delighted when he joined in the band.

Aiffe had a pennywhistle, into it she would blow
And the notes that she would play inspired dancers round to go
She played high up in the air, she played low unto the land
And the dancers all delighted when she joined in the band.

We feast, we feast, we feast and then we dance
We gather here to worship, then we feast and then we dance.

Ailill had an Uillean pipe, to play it he would kneel
And playing on the chanter, made the dancers jig and reel
With the droning and the piping, like the wind o'er the sand
And the dancers all delighted when he joined in the band.

Starlighte had a harp of gold, she strummed those burnished strings
And the dancers when they heard the notes would jump and leap and fling
She rolled those notes like a stream across the land And the dancers all
delighted when she joined in the band.

Nesbit had some bones he took from some dread beast
But sometimes he would spurn them for the leavings of the feast
He pounded out a rhythym that could often get out of hand
But the dancers all delighted when he joined in the band.

We feast, we feast, we feast and then we dance
We gather here to worship, then we feast and then we dance.

Dreamheart had a flute, of deobar it was wrought
And the harmonies she would coax from it were like gems dearly bought
She played the aires and flourishes, and the hornpipe on demand
And the dancers all delighted when she joined in the band.

Freye played a tambourine just like a gypsy lass
And when she'd strike the tempo beat, it'd sound like breaking glass
She kept the players rhythm time just like she always planned
And the dancers all delighted when she joined in the band.

Narnianit found an old tin whistle, and through she would blow
And everywhere the notes would stray, then there a dancer'd go
She sent her high notes prancing nigh to every corner of the land
And the dancers all delighted when she joined in the band.

Payoot had some pan pipes, whose haunting tones would pierce the soul
And when he trilled a playful aire, the dancers lost control
Rollicking and frolicking, so that "still" you could not "stand"
And the dancers all delighted when he joined in the band.

We feast, we feast, we feast and then we dance
We gather here to worship, then we feast and then we dance.

On the ocarina, rapid trills would Deedlitt play
For the privilege of a rondo would the dancers gladly pay
And the gyrations these would foster, we all thought would be surely banned
But the dancers all delighted when she joined in the band.

Canu played a huge bass drum, that like a mountain's heart would pound
And the pulsing beat that he produced sent shivers through the ground
The dancers as they spun about would leap the sound waves in the sand
And the dancers all delighted when he joined in the band.

Ordeith played a special lute, around the circle his chords he'd throw
The counter-melody he wove in the dance would make the resonance grow
Like a shepherd to a wayward flock, he pulled notes to his command
And the dancers all delighted when he joined in the band.

Disdainful of an instrument, her voice alone she played
And like the ultimate Soloist, Sollitude her skill displayed
She chanted to the music of the richest gathering in the land
And the dancers all delighted when she joined in the band.

We feast, we feast, we feast and then we dance
We gather here to worship, then we feast and then we dance.

So release yourself from worries, and the quests you feel so hard
Come listen to the music, feel the Power of the Bard
Feast within our welcome, feel the music through the land
And with the dancers feel delight as you join in the band.

 
 Softly, Ailill lets the last note slide mournfully off his strings and
quietly steps out of the room.

"Remember," he whispers.