Kindon Family/Ballad

The Ballad of Lek and Sennianus

By Elrdred

A fighting lassie came to us
From Aureus cross the sea.
And bright the eyes and quick the smiles
She cast on me and thee.
(And soft the arms and sweet the kiss
She shared with me and thee.)

Her hair was dark as raven’s wing,
Her eyes a pure ice blue.
And though her visage scarred it was,
Her form was fair and true.
(Those who fortune favoured loved
That form so fair and true.)

Though many foes before her came
And found how sharp her sword.
She still had time to drink and dance,
And no man was her lord.
(Oh, many loved her willing ways,
But no man was her lord.)

The way she fought, the way she drank,
Could put a man to shame.
Truly none could keep her love ‘til
A tall barbarian came.
(Some say her world was shaken when
That tall barbarian came.)

Brave and bare, twice-moon mad he,
His words were honeyed sweet.
He brought her heads; he brought her ale
And all her needs did meet.
(While others slept and night fell down
Her needs he did all meet.)

A woman’s heart she found that day;
With woman’s eye she saw.
In his arms she was content, and
Her careful heart did thaw.
(And none who knew her could believe
Her careful heart could thaw.)

And so the lovers found some peace
Within a land at war,
Until that terrible night that all
Taselak heard him roar.
(And some said two hearts were broken
When Sennianus roared.)

‘Tis thought he came upon her
Lying in another’s arms,
And in his rage he did attempt
To do the other harm
(He drew his sword with full intent
To do him deadly harm.)

But Lek threw herself between them,
And there she took her stand
She cried, “My love, put down your sword!
You must not harm this man!”
(And all he saw was her defense
Of this, some stranger man.)

His sword he pressed to her bare breast;
And blood it did run down.
When he saw its crimson colour,
He fled with no more sound.
(They say brave men know how to weep,
With nary any sound.)

And Lek herself fell to her knees
In shock, remorse, and pain.
She would renounce her wicked ways
To bring him back again.
(She prayed to all the gods above,
“Please, bring him back again!”)