Deep þrough þe wood
Where no one treks,
No one wanders,
And no one goes.
No one may travel þiþer wiþout purpose.
Miles and miles ‘cross darkened land.
After long distance, þe trees doþ part
Revealing a valley,
Wherein lies a tomb
Of a long forgotten hero,
Alluded to only in stories
From long ago,
From days of yore.
Þe forest alloweþ only þe chosen to reach it.
Shift often doþ þe forest paþs.
Redirecting unwanted wanderers away.
Emergest þou þrough þe wood endly,
And gazest down into yon valley.
In þe center lieþ þe mound.
As þou marchest down,
Þe entryway can be seen.
Standing before it, it stretcheþ high,
Wiþ sides straight and top archèd,
Þough it be markedly weaþer-worn.
Þe wind toucheþ þy fingers
And flame awakeþ from þy palm,
Becoming þy torch.
Þe blackened tunnel awakeþ wiþ light.
Now beholdest þou þe stairway down,
And deep it doþ go.
Þe dirt walls are painted copper by þy guiding fire
Þe silence of þe tomb is interrupted only by þy flickering flames.
Þe smell of soil toucheþ þy nostrils,
And so doþ someþing else:
Þe grim stench of deaþ.
After a long descent,
Þe stairs meeteþ flattened earþ,
And þou seest a long hall,
Wiþ walls built of stone,
And doors aligning on each side.
Each mayhaps containing graves and treasures of many forgotten souls,
Yet þou canst sense þat þy purpose lieþ dead ahead,
And so onward þou marchest,
And as þou doþ, þou sensest faint echoes
Of long absent visitors to þis realm.
Shadows whisper nigh silently at þee as þou passest,
But þou knowest not þeir deaþly words.
Only an illusion, mayhaps þey be.
As þou approachest þe final resting place of Þe Forgotten Hero,
Þou sensest an oþerworldly presence,
A feeling þat groweþ stronger closer and closer.
Two tall stone columns lift up high an arch
And wiþin lieþ a large, grey, stone coffin,
Its longside facing þee,
Holding wiþin Þe Forgotten Hero.
Along þe side, escribèd are þese runes:
ᛣᛁᛝ
And beneaþ þem, þese lines:
“Hails!
To all þose ov yore
Who fought and killed for
Þis ancient land ov ours
And, too, its mighty towers
Þat still today stand strong
Inspiring many a song…”