Diaries The Saga Of Berra — Fragment 12

1625

Westward to river and Northward to Grazelands
Long lay their path but stout was the bison
Forcing his way through the undergrowth westward
Finding the river and splashing in shallows¹While there is no indication that this is a slight or insult in any way, the clumsiness of the mighty bison Whiliem is noted elsewhere, a touching note of realism

Duck²This mis-spelling appears in most extant manuscripts. Mn Hardraad 19 has what appears to be ‘stet’ in the margin. found the heroes with fire on the skyline
Slaughtered encampment and smoke rising airward
Deep in the slaughter were traces of Lunars
Hidden from view until Berra exposed them

Arrows were made by the way of the horse-folk
Slaughter was done by the way of the soldier
Every head had a victim to sheath it
Every shaft had red life-blood upon it

Under a body and seen in a moment
Berra found evil was held in a death grip
Marked on a javelin signs of the Lunars
Slaughter to turn clan against clan was plotted

Leaving the merchant to rest in the darkness
Guarded by Salid and Dormal the Sniveller³Obiously a transposition of names
Berra’s companions struck out for the hunting
In the red darkness⁴This poetic allusion to the full moon indicates the strength of anger, and also bravery, of the avengers. While the Red Moon afforded light by which to see, it also afforded much power to the wielders of the Red Goddess’s power. Truly, this was a desperate, furious act. the Lunars they followed

Into the darkness the followed the trail
Down a deep gully that once held bright water
Berra rejoiced for the coming of battle
Blood for the water that once filled the wadi

Sentries were spotted and plans made in earnest
Bows to the foremost and cavalry ready
Swift the attack when it came from the silence
Still was the night and then loud was the crying

Wounded by arrows but not to the slaughter
Lunar cried out before Death⁵The indication here is that ‘Death’ personified by Berra was apt and able with a bow as well as a sword and spear, and took part in this portion of the attack. could be finished
So rose the mage of the Lunar Encampment
Summoning Power to serve his Red master

Fresh to his lips came the name of disaster
Jar-Eel⁶The first mention of Jar-Eel in the words of an enemy, directly linked with ‘disaster’; this stanza is suspected of later sophistication. he cried as the fit came upon him
Summoning madness he struck at Serala
Sending her spinning with mind into madness

Koraki stepped from the wind to destroy him
While by the ashes great⁷Lit: ‘large and mightful’. Rajar drew axes
Leaving his lance in the chest of a villain
He joined with Nala and Berra for killing

Swift was the slaughter of unworthy Lunars
Tiwr ran with Nala to save their mad horse-friend
Biding the Praxian horse-taboo ruling
Nala took pity and touched not her dagger⁸While Nala would find riding the horse to be taboo, when not in Prax she was not under geas to kill the animal. Her friendship with Serala ensured its survival.

Berra prepared for the Court of the Silence⁹While we are to understand it is corpses she prepares, there can be no doubt that this phrasing is a reminder of her Humakti philosophy.
Corpses of villains and murdering soldiers
Sending their spirits to pass through the doorway
Easing the pain of her failure in Whitewall

When came the dawn with a cloud cloak of roses
Horses approached from the day and the night-ways¹⁰Both East and West, where Yelm would rise and set.
Nala had summoned in night-time a shaman
Clansmen Seralan like vultures were gathered

• 1
  While there is no indication that this is a slight or insult in any way, the clumsiness of the mighty bison Whiliem is noted elsewhere, a touching note of realism
• 2
  This mis-spelling appears in most extant manuscripts. Mn Hardraad 19 has what appears to be ‘stet’ in the margin.
• 3
  Obiously a transposition of names
• 4
  This poetic allusion to the full moon indicates the strength of anger, and also bravery, of the avengers. While the Red Moon afforded light by which to see, it also afforded much power to the wielders of the Red Goddess’s power. Truly, this was a desperate, furious act.
• 5
  The indication here is that ‘Death’ personified by Berra was apt and able with a bow as well as a sword and spear, and took part in this portion of the attack.
• 6
  The first mention of Jar-Eel in the words of an enemy, directly linked with ‘disaster’; this stanza is suspected of later sophistication.
• 7
  Lit: ‘large and mightful’.
• 8
  While Nala would find riding the horse to be taboo, when not in Prax she was not under geas to kill the animal. Her friendship with Serala ensured its survival.
• 9
  While we are to understand it is corpses she prepares, there can be no doubt that this phrasing is a reminder of her Humakti philosophy.
• 10
  Both East and West, where Yelm would rise and set.