Wrenogal: Act III, xix-xxi

xix

“Fear not, young master! I once held your place.

Good Aerandel can trust her work with me.

She’s kind to let you keep up her own pace,

but I’ll take over now. Go on, be free.”

The shy replacement Aerandel had set

to watch her study now timidly rose.

He looked back, once the threshold had been met,

struck by the royal air, as striking goes.

“Ah, lest I fail to use you while I can,

was this what last she read? On this desk here?”

The understudy nodded. “Shipments, then?

That’s not exactly part of her career..”

Zlyr shut the door upon the little aid,

who knew not what pawns had just now been played.

xx

“You wander woods wherein most men go not;

and if they do, they comprehend no part

of what they see. But you, for you are sought

by fate, endure the fear within your heart.”

Lya now spoke not as young as she looked,

but as one knowing—now there was no need

to keep her audience by that bait hooked:

the mystery would make Wrenogal heed.

“Take heart, dear Wrenogal.” She watched her hand

caress the same tree stump whereat she stood.

“We will return, not after long, to land

right here. And here you will know all you should.”

She gazed into the stump, her eyes as dew,

“I must show many special things to you.”

xxi

Wrenogal made to speak, but was cut off—

“But off we go!” She smiled, newly bold.

“You mustn’t cheer me: that would make me scoff,

I am far happier than you, I’m told.”

The Wren’s hand hung mid-air, his lips apart,

as Lya strode without fear to his ride,

and ere the Wren could stop her with his start,

she had already gotten up astride.

“We go now West!” She said, pointing that way.

“There’s something you must see: a summary

of everything that I must now-on say—

of everything that matters most to me.”

He dropped his hand—befuddled, languid, coarse—

but followed after, following her course.