The Walker and the Witch

## Information & Origens.

Popularised during the Reclamation era the balad was spoken through caravans and also heard among those of the port towns, though each variation seems to have its own ending and different moral divergences.

## The Balad

from a caravan know far and wide,

for the stories of adventure they did tell,

a young man did wish to do more,

and become the hero of one as well.

he decided to venture out one day,

he wondered a short from his home,

he explored upon the nearby cliffs,

and came across a crone.

Her skin bore a wrinkled and shriveled look,

her eyes they screamed her age,

as the man did ask this woman who she was,

she simply said a special type of mage.

The young walker he was weary,

he had heard of enchanted folk,

the type who would twist the lives of men,

as naught but a cruel joke.

You sound just like a haggard witch,

my people I must let know,

The crone she sighed and shook her head,

What makes you think I would let you go?

young walker let out a startled gasp,

as the crone drew near,

a wall of black fire encircled him,

as his heart slowly filled with fear.

You are a lucky young man she spoke,

I long tire of all this death,

I shall grant the desire of thee if you help me,

and sware this on your next breath.

the young walker he did ponder,

What could she hope to take,

she already had him in her grip,

if he agreed what more could she break?

I sware it he did utter,

so long as I need not hurt another soul,

Then speak my child and tell me,

What is your heart's true goal?

I wish to become a man of story,

the hero in my own tale,

The crone did laugh and nodded,

as she drew her blood with a nail.

In a flash of light the flames were gone,

and her blood on him she did spray,

Then until my tasks are complete,

you shall be my sword as of this day.

young walker began to start,

but his voice she quickly quelled,

I shall have you slay no moral man,

only beasts that must be felled.

the young walker he did relent,

and to her cabin she would lead,

and speak with the boy in great length,

what he needed to be freed.

3 beasts that must be slain,

before his word considered forfilled,

and he should not return home,

before each beast was killed.

The first a creauter of scales and slime,

whos words were said to kill,

They could pearce any armour

and any wepon they could still.

The sccond a creature as black as night,

and eyes as bright as day,

to gaze upon it for too long,

and it would drive your sanity away,

The third was said to be tendraled beast,

with spines that could tair a man appart,

where he resided the crone advised,

was in every persons heart.

The young walker he did set out,

and in another story i will tell,

about all the adventure he did have,

the the beasts that he did fell.

But the story now follows his return,

The glint no longer in his eye,

The head of each beast he carried,

his fredom he could now buy.

He handed the Heads to the crone,

my fredom as we agreed,

she turned to him and nodded her head,

true but these words heed.

The people now know of your story,

It has journed far and wide,

the focus of it you are true,

and there will be no place to hide.

You were seen with great monsters,

after disapearing that day,

under the orders of a witch,

what else is there to say?

but walker was exsaused,

he simply wished for his bed,

to his home his caravan,

his feat began to tread.

## Spoilers

format

- man craves to be known

- man speaks to a wikkend witch for help

- Witch gives man 3 tasks to complete

- man sets out and completes the tasks with great stuggle and sacrifice

- the man despite trying to help the people becomes known as the one who doomed them

- the man falls into great dispair and nearly ends his own life

- the man heads to the witch and begs for him and the vilagers to forget all he did

- a great calamity befalls the city

- the man knows he could beat it with his experance and begs the witch to restore his memory.

- the man regains knowage of what happened as doeshe people, the man sits atop the cliff and watches the
vilagle burn.

OR

- the man regains knowage of what happened as does the people, the man rushes to their aid and slays the beast
people accuse the man of drawing the beast near and the man is stoned and chased out the town, the man smiles and leaves
understanding the journy was more important.

OR

- the man regains knowage of what happened as does the people, the man rushes to their aid and slays the beast
people accuse the man of drawing the beast near and the man is burned at the stake, after the curse is broken and
people remeber the name of the man and instead of knowing the false deads they know his true ones and build a statue in
his name and honor and once per year on the day of his death they burn great wealth in offering to the hero they
killed and his spirit is said to still guard that place.