My father was a horsetamer on the edge of Halley Plain.
His work was good and his horses fine, but he got little gain,
For few folk come out of Halley Town; the trade is gone away,
And the distant glower
Of the ruined tower
Makes few folk care to stay.
So poor we were, but free we were, as the wild herds on the plain,
And I was a child
As free and wild
As the wind in my tangled mane.
My grandam told me cradle tales of the great days long ago
when the wizards ruled, and the land was taxed, and the Lords would come and go.
But the land was torn by war, she said, the tower was broken down,
And the Lords appear
No longer here
To rule over Halley Town.
And neither do the wizards come, take our children, one in ten.
So grateful be
That we're poor but free,
And you are not living then.
My father had no sons at all, nor could he pay the fee
Of hiring men to help his work, so he turned to mother and me.
We helped him run the wild ones down, to catch and tame and train,
And we lived thus free
And merrily
On the edge of Halley Plain.
So well I loved the whispering grass and the children of the land
But in time I learned,
As the seasons turned,
To call them into my hand.
As I rode out on Halley Plain, I would set my mind to fly,
'Till I felt the grass below my feet and the birds high in the sky.
I'd feel the wild ones running, and I'd bid them turn again,
And a few I'd see
Would come to me,
About every one in ten.
I never called them to the rope, for the trust I'd not betray,
And willingly
They would carry me
On the plains to run and play.
There is a lake beyond the town; the tower stands on its shore,
Close by, the holy castle looms, where none may pass the door.
But I always chose that ruined tower as my favorite place to play,
And I daydreamed long
Of my grandam's songs
And the tales of the ancient days.
The stones breathed wonderous tales to me of the powers within the ground,
'Till within the stones
Of the tower's bones
A magic mirror I found.
The mirror in its iron frame was bland as the winter sky.
Never a sight did it show to me 'till I set my mind to fly.
Aye, then it showed me wonderous things; a window on the world,
The plains, the town,
The land around,
For as far as the oceans curled.
I wore it tied about my neck, so to keep it always near.
Besides the land
And my wild horse band,
'Twas the treasure I held most dear.
But, I'll never wear red robes, I'll never wear a blue stone.
The ruined tower stands abandoned and alone.
But when the moons are high and the wind is roaring free,
When I send my silent call, wild horses come to me.
As we rode down to Halley town one summer market day,
I saw the folk in turmoil run, and I heard an old man say,
"Go back, go back, you horsetamer, the wizards come again.
They come, I fear,
For the children here;
They're taking one in ten.
Go back, go back, you horsetamer, and your daughter hide away.
Go conceal your child
Where the land is wild
'Till the wizards have gone away."
Back I rode to Halley Plain, as fast as a horse could run,
And I hid myself in the ruined tower, away from wind and sun.
I gazed into the mirror's depths to see what might befall,
And close at hand
Saw the wizards' band
So fierce and fair and tall.
Then one of them raised up his eyes, and he said, "Who can this be?"
And he turned his head
With its hair so red,
And he looked straight away at me!
"What is this power that I feel," said he, "so clear and raw and strong?
Ride up, ride up, my sisters, all, my god, we've been searching wrong!
More power's here than we thought to find, the gods so jest with men.
It may be still
That within our will,
That tower will awake again.
'Twas an ill-trained keeper's mind I met, but I've rarely felt such power.
We dare not wait
Lest we come too late;
Make haste for the Halley Tower."
As soon as I thus heard their plan, I turned my mind away,
And I sent it flying o'er the plain. To the wild ones I did say,
"Oh, come to me, my free friends, all, oh, come to my right hand,
We must prevent
These Lords' intent
Of the claiming of our land.
For if they should rule the land once more, we shall all be servant men,
And you, my dears,
Will be captives here
And will never run free again."
I bound my mind to the wild ones' minds, and I called as I never did call,
'Till seven mares and a stallion bold came into the ancient hall.
Just seven mares, a stallion bold, a magic mirror, and me
To stay the hand
Of the Lords' command
And keep the plainsfolk free.
So I bound my soul to the wild ones' souls as I'd never done before,
And we raised our might
In a ring of light
To fight in a wizards' war.
For I'll never wear red robes, I'll never wear a blue stone.
The ruined tower stands abandoned and alone.
But when the moons are high and the wind is roaring free,
When I send my silent call, wild horses come to me.
We raised a shield about the tower, all made of wind and thought.
With hooves of might through the mirror's sight, we battered, thrust, and fought.
The wizards flinched, the wizards fell, and they cried up from the ground,
"Have done, have done,
Ye nine and one,
And tell us what we've found.
How did your starstone hold intact when it should have burned away?
What kind of men
Can stand up again
Through the fires that we threw today?"
"I have no stone at all," said I, "just a mirror like the sea,
And you fought with never a man this day, just eight wild horses and me.
I am the horsetamer's daughter, the defender of the land,
And I know my kind
Never were inclined
To live at a Lord's command.
So it is my wish ye shall go away and shall leave us as we've been.
Leave us free
As we choose to be.
We will never be ruled again."
Up then spoke a wizard Lord, "It shall be as you have said,
Better to make us an eighth domain than to duel 'till we all are dead.
With a symbol made of wild beasts and a plain-purse-level screen,
You've all the power
Of any good tower,
Much more than many I've seen.
You are the living matrix, then, that's all that you can be.
It's clear your breed
Is of wizards' seed.
Oh, child, keep away from me!"
So, Halley Tower is tenanted now. Fresh straw lies on the floor.
Tall wild horses come and go, free through the open door.
The Halley folk bring corn and cloth and wood for the winter chill.
The tales they tell
Are spreading well,
And I fear they always will.
I'm just the horestamer's daughter, but they love me for my power;
They've made of me
What I fear to be
The keeper of Halley Tower.
But I'll never wear red robes, I'll never wear a blue stone.
The ancient tower stands no longer quite alone.
But when the moons are high and the wind is roaring free,
When I send my silent call, wild horses come to me.