The Saga of the Heart of the Ice

[ellyssian]

III. Ogre's Lair

Deep under the Earth	snow-crest rock-burrow,
Mighty-Bjorn rock-opener	reveals foul tunnel,
ogre-stench turning	cold-warriors blood to fire
slumber-locked foe-beasts	snore-roaring vermin
raise axe-biters wrath;	Blood-mad Bjorn charges,
lays low foul foe, axe	crush, sweep bite, in the
flickering arrow-light;	Frost-cat leaps, slashing
biting, filth-stomper	cringes, Skog-Spellweaver
pierces rotten heart	great-magicks slaying;
Hjolvar Fir-talker strikes	ogre rising, smiting
rock-biter as Bjorn	froths for more;
Thor, Thor, the voices cry;	Thor, in hall on high;
Searching for spoils	most spoiled rotten
foul trash-sifting gleans	five sparkling gems;
Eyes Elven-bright find	hidden-path leading
well-cut rock hewn	with skill from halls
carved in haste by	waste-spewing ogres;
Hall ending, ominous	and ornate room-ward;
Heavy Knife sees	hidden snares, clever
hands undoing lock	and life-stealing trap;
Lo', he lays open	the way most foul,
chilled to his heart	Skalding and Berserk;
Ice-blue ogre freezes	their hearts, brave heroes
shrive the cold and slay	empty-hearted foe;
Thor, Thor, the voices cry;	Thor, in hall on high;
Mighty Warriors	victorious, ogres
fall to Skald, Druid,	Mage, and Shield-Biter
claim the lair as	haven in cold-lands;
Shelter, what once was	threat, safety where once
walked the hideous	bastard-child of giants;
Mountains cleansed	of Evil, pure-snow drifts,
towering citadels	Thor-hammer crags, peaks
rising to Thunder	amongst the clouds.