The Wooing of Kanle

The Wooing of Kanle

From The Lays of Peiboth's Children

Landras raging paced and plotted,

Counseled with the cunning Yaldis,

Who of women was the wisest,

Knew the runes and arts forbidden,

How to sway the hearts of mankind,

Men and women in enchantment

Bind, and set their wills in bondage.

Landras raging, son of Peiboth:

"All for naught my clever scheming,

Wasted too my loyal service.

It was I who stopped Endela,

Stopped him though the throne he offered.

I revealed his deepest counsels

To the one who throne denied me,

Heeding not the will of nature,

Setting up my younger brother.

Peiboth ancient, king and Father,

Disregarded show of fealty--

For, Endela's host thus conquered,

Landras's love and valor proven,

Still he alters not his sentence,

Praises Landras 'for his counsel,'

Dooms his eldest son to service,

'Counsel Neras, young and eager.'

Not to rule his folk in wisdom.

Endela's offer seems the better.

Faithful service does not merit,

Does not merit throne or kingdom."

Yaldis crafty softly touched him,

Took his arm and smiled sweetly.

"Runes I know of, dark and cunning,

Runes and magic long forbidden,

Words to move the hearts of readers,

Sway them from a course intended

To a way which we, desiring,

Set for them, to do our bidding.

Younger minds will sway the soonest.

Think you then of brother Neras.

Well 'tis known how proud and lusty,

Swift he is to go to battle.

Never has he had a lover,

Never known the love of maiden.

Star-born Kanle, Hagnor's daughter,

Fairest she of Treian maidens.

It is said that in the city

Kanle visits distant kinfolk.

Kanle fairest, Neras valiant,

Who could gainsay such a pairing?"

Landras frowning spoke thus coarsely:

"House of Hagnor woes no kindness

To my father, ancient Peiboth,

Ancient Peiboth took the kingdom

Long ago from Hagnor's uncle,

He the last of Feyhoth's lineage.

Ancient Hagnor bears us hatred.

How the match (which cannot happen)

Helps me now I cannot fathom.

Do not fret yourself for Neras,

He will have his choice of women

When he sits and rules the kingdom.

Better think you for your husband."

Yaldis crafty, speaking gently:

"Always thinking for her husband

Yaldis uses ample cunning.

Well you say that HAgnor's household

Bears no love for house of HAgnor.

What if Neras wedded Kanle?

What if Hagnor lost his daughter?

Hagnor's mood would then be vengeful.

He would raise the rebel's standard,

war would cover Feihoth's island.

Many chieftains still remember

Peiboth as a bitter rebel;

Hagnor, should he raise his standard,

Then would rally half the nobles.

War would bloody throne of Peiboth

All for love of youthful Neras.

Who would name him as their king then?

None who valued ruler's wisdom."

Thus spoke Yaldis, great in beauty,

Great in cunning of all women.

Yaldis spoke, and Landras answered:

"Wisely speaks my good wife Yaldis,

She my greatest joy and treasure.

Who can say, if war comes on us,

What may chance and fortune bring us?

Neras youthful may prove his folly--

But how if he should die in battle?

In the press the strokes are many,

Hard discerning friend from foe-man--

Oft an arrow flies at hazard."

Yaldis cunning penned two missives,

Set their seals with runes of power,

Cunning signs to foster feeling,

Stir the bowels and quench the reason.

Secret servants bore the letters,

One to Kanle, one to Neras,

Letters seeming from the other,

Love confessing, tryst proposing.

Youthful hearts in love oft flounder.

Neras long debated going,

Whether he should meet this Kanle.

Long the rumor of her beauty

He had heard throughout the country.

Too, the words of Yaldis' missive

(He supposed to come from Kanle)

Spake in terms of kind affection,

Spake of how she loved him grately.

Whether moved by love of beauty,

By the beauty of her rumor,

Or by craft of cunning Yaldis,

Neras went to tryst appointed,

Under grove of silver beeches

When the night but softly whispered

Long ago when folk of Treians

Still the western isle keeping

Had not fallen into darkness;

Yet their doom was soon upon them.

Kanle also, reading missive,

Burned with joy at thought of Neras,

Read the praise he gave her beauty

(Knowing not the words were Yaldis'),

Filled her heart with love for Neras.

So she waited under beeches,

Veiled her face with misty mantle.

Star-born Kanle, bright eyes shining,

Waited for her youthful lover.

Neras came there, Kanle wooing,

Singing words of honeyed sweetness.

Kanle blushing listened softly,

Listened to the song he sang her,

Soft inclined unto his pleading,

'Til with hands that softly trembled

Took his hand unto her bosom.

Neras boldening sang to woo her:

"Happy dream that, senses touching,

Touches hand and fires my courage

To sing of Star-born lovely Kanle.

If a dream and dreaming only,

Let me never wake to sunlight--

Ever dream, and Kanle's bright eyes

Be my sun and moon forever."

Kanle blushing listened softly,

There she gave her heart unto him,

There she bowed her head and smiled.

There beneath the verdant bower,

There among the slender beeches,

There did Neras, Kanle together

Plight their troth and sing their love-song.

Landras smiled when he heard it,

He and Yaldis standing close by

Knew their long-intended malice

Now would bloom its bitter flower.

War would cover Feihoth's Island,

Whelm the throne in gore and conquest.

Neras would, his own doom wedding,

Wed the hand of lovely Kanle.

Secret spies were sent to Hagnor,

Sent that he might know her goings,

Hear some rumor of her lover,

Learn the way she made alliance

With the son of the usurper,

Ancient Peiboth, whom he hated.

When the rumor came to Hagnor

Hagnor loudly named it falshood,

Loudly threatened painful lashing, 

Loudly promised death or exile

To the lips that spread that rumor.

Nonetheless his heart misgave him,

Called to him his faithful stewards,

Amunpelei trusty counsellor,

Sent him forth and bid him follow,

Find if rumor whispered rightly--

Whether Kanle took a lover,

Whether it was Peiboth's offspring.

"Go and follow mistress Kanle,

When she goes out on an evening,

Tell to me her every doing,

If she meets a friend or lover,

Words that may then pass between them,

Who she meets and how it passes."

Amunpelei was a just man,

Grieved to play the part assigned him.

Grieved to spy upon the mistress

Whom he'd cherished when a child,

Loved her as she were his offspring.

Yet he feared his lordly master,

Went, and did his hateful bidding.

So it was that Amunpelei

Followed Kanle, Hagnor's daughter,

When she went to meet her lover,

Went to meet the son of Peiboth

'Neath the grove of silvered beeches

When the sun shone young upon it,

But the shadows ever lengthened.

There he saw her love for Neras,

There he heard the oaths they uttered.

Going swiftly to his master

Amunpelei told he matter.

Thus a just man was made a whisperer,

Not the least of evils done then

In the days when Feihoth's Isle

Fell from day and into darkness.

Hagnor hearing filled with anger,

Called his lofty sons unto him,

Told them all their sister's doings,

How she had embraced a lover,

He the son of the Usurper.

Hagnor's sons recoiled in anger,

Drew their swords and would have vengeance.

Offspring four had doughty Hagnor,

First was Tehei, strong in battle.

Hard the strokes that Tehei's axe smote

Still the songs of Children sing it.

Tehei's shield was rimmed with jewels,

Shone with light that blinded foe-men.

Black his axe, and fell the death-strokes,

Breaking shields and splitting helmets.

Hauberks scorned he, Tehei mighty,

Wore instead the skins of lions

When he prowled among his foe-men,

Hewed them down like forest saplings.

Kareth second, twin of Kanle,

Tall and cunning, lithe and clever,

Studied arts of war and battle

Pen and runes by him were practiced.

Clever Kareth, long in striding.

Youngest born of house of Hagnor

Lanenomen, high doom on him

Played the harp and threw the spear-shaft

Heedless, careless, youth enjoying

Never knowing doom awaiting

Far beyond the Isle of Feyhoth

Where the waves of inland ocean

Washed the shores of Jaden Hilltops.

Hagnor's offspring blazed with honor

For the slight that they imagined

Done by Neras unto Kanle.

Kareth cunning counseled caution,

Warned his kin against rash action:

"Often actions made in anger

When they strike, they wound the wielder.

Call we Kanle, hear her answer,

Then we choose our course of action--

Whether honor merits bloodshed,

Whether she was wholly willing,

Whether spies have told you truly.

House of Peiboth strongly standing

Stood Endela's marshaled fierceness,

Showed no weakness in that conflict.

Heaven smiles on prudent courage."

Ancient Hagnor praised the saying,

Called to him his daughter Kanle--

Just returned from meeting Neras--

Kanle came and bowing, smiled,

Spoke, not knowing what portended:

"How may Kanle please her father?

Or assist her martial brothers?

Kanle ever lives to please them,

With her hands some service render.

Speak your will, what you require."

Hagnor spoke then, frowning darkly:

"Kanle, daughter, tell me quickly,

Whether you have had a lover,

Whether it is true, the rumor

You have loved the son of Peiboth,

Neras, son of the usurper.

Tell me I have judged unjustly."

Kanle Star-born raised her bright eyes,

Looking queenly in defiance:

"Truly you have judged unjustly,

Not in fact of bitter rumor

(Which, though truthful, knows no kindness)

But in angry glances flashing

I may read your bitter judgment.

You know not what man is Neras,

Who with kindness looked upon me,

Tender showed how he esteemed me.

Neras gentle loves me fully,

He is strong of might and valor.

You could love him, father Hagnor

If the wrongs of ancient lineage

Never tained love of fathers."

Hagnor brooding spake in answer:

"Now I learn the truth of rumor,

Now I see he mocks my honor.

Poisons mind of lovely daughter,

Stole what mine it was to shepherd.

So the son of Peiboth mocks me,

Makes a jest of Hagnor's household."

Kanle's anger burned then hotly:

"He is no thief who takes when offered

Gift of love most freely given.

He is no robber who, invited,

Enters good host's home for shelter.

Never Neras stole your Kandle--

Kanle freely gave unto him 

Gift of hand and heart to lover."

Hagnor, raging, sent her from him,

Ordered her to sit in tower

Until he some willing husband

Find to keep her for a bride-price,

Then he'd plot the death of Neras.

Kanle proudly does not beg him,

Proudly goes away in silence,

Proudly suffers doom of prison.

There amid her maiden chamber

Lovely Kanle took a dagger.

Star-born Kanle took a bodkin,

Pressed it to her shining bosom,

Swore she'd rather spill her lifeblood

Rather die than prove unfaithful

To the oaths she swore to Neras--

Oaths they swore neath silver beeches.

At that moment Amunpelei,

Most unhappy of her servants,

Came unto his lady's chamber,

Saw the dagger, knew her passion,

Knew the evil deed intended.

"Wait you, mistress, Kanle Star-born,

Wait and do not spill your life-blood.

Amunpelei, hapless servant,

Rather should be holding dagger,

Taste for you the bitter iron,

For he has deserved your hatred.

Strike me now, and spare your bosom."

Star-born Kanle softly weeping

Lay her head on servant's shoulder

Moistened it with precious tear-drops.

"Amunpelei, faithful servant,

Do not take that blame upon you.

Well I know the way my father

Broods on wrongs that should, forgotten,

Never darken joy of children.

Yet he'd rather, Peiboth hating,

Slay the heart of daughter Kanle,

Rather make of you a whisperer,

Rather see the sea o'erwhelm us

Than, the awful feud forsaking,

Peace embrace, and be forgiven."

Thus spake Kanle, Hagnor's daughter.

Amunpelei, hapless servant,

Spake these words and hastened judgment.:

"Come now, Kanle, I will aid you,

To escape the doom your father

Evil-willing has declared you.

Take the clothes of kitchen maiden,

Amuneplei, trusty servant,

Leads you past the castle postern.

Then unto the arms of lover,

Neras prince-ling, fair and manly,

You may flee, thence to marry

He you love, escaping bondage."

Kanle Star-born took his counsel,

Wore the clothes of kitchen maiden.

Fled from father, forsaking kinfolk.

Many times she rued the choices

Pride and passion then commended.

Kanle fleeing came to Neras,

Wedded him amid the poplars

Swaying in the winds of evening

As the car of morn was setting

Far beyond the last horizon.