Fragment 2.49 – The Pursuit of Onjur

Diaries The Saga Of Berra — Fragment 2 49

1627


Night saw young Berra in calm meditation
Drinking but water and praying to Humakt
Holding the Sword in her mind’s grasp within her
Seeking no joy in the feasting around her

Morning brought news of attack by a night-force
Wounding by secrecy out of the darkness
Hearing the tale Berra thought of the Lunar
Onjur who slew without mercy or honour

Calling for trackers she ordered his trail found
Asked of Varanis to speak with their host-king
Begging for cavalry fresh out of Glasswall
Herengvot gave them in honour of guest-rights

Knowing the chance to find glory in battle
Berra gave orders to chase after Onjur
Hot in her heart was the thought of his capture
Cold in her mind was her plan for the chasing

First she called horses and bison for chasing
Gave up the infantry troop that would slow her
Orders she gave to Sorala the Vingan
Swift be retreat if a battle is threatened

So cautious Berra gave precepts to follow
Giving the Vingan instructions for caution
Berra had learned from her skirmish beforehand
Knew of the treacheries Onjur held in him

Then they went fast for they knew anger in them
Cavalry streaming across all the landscape
Following tracks that the Lunars left fleeing
Speeding on ground that was travelled before them

Soon on the road that the Lunars had followed
Berra’s sharp eyes saw the shape of a carcass
Ridden to death lay a horse on the roadway
Berra’s quick mind thought of how Onjur used things

Berra gave orders to pause in the chasing
Long enough only to make preparations
Soon they moved on and the trap was shown to them
Shown by the bison of stout-hearted Rajar

Tied to his bison the carcass was taken
Dragged from the trap that shrewd Onjur had left there
Up came a spirit of madness and moonlight
Rajar cut loose from the horse and he galloped

Berra had words pressing swift from the tooth-cage
Thoughts had flown fast and her answer was swifter
Magic was ordered as cavalry cantered
Keeping the flow of the chase as they cast it

Yet all their chasing was slower than Onjur
He had brought remounts and Berra’s force lacked such
As they approached Skyfall Lake and the Mountains
Berra called halt for the foe had escaped her

She would not harry past sense and good thinking
Into the trap that was armoured against her
Sad for the chance that she missed for the battle
Berra turned back for the good of the war then

Saving her troops and the troops out of Glasswall
Berra returned to the shade of the city
Keeping the infantry company roadwards
Backward-uniting the force she had sundered

What Really Happened

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