CH; Wind's four quarters, air and fire
Earth and water, hear my desire
Grant my plea who stands alone --
Maiden, Warrior, Mother and Crone.
Eastern wind blow clear, blow clean,
Cleanse my body of its pain,
Cleanse my mind of what I've seen,
Cleanse my honor of its stain.
Maid whose love has never ceased
Bring me healing from the East.
Southern wind blow hot, blow hard,
Fan my courage to a flame,
Southern wind be guide and guard,
Add your bravery to my name.
Let my will and yours be twinned,
Warrior of the Southern wind.
Western wind, stark, blow strong,
Grant me arm and mind of steel
On a road both hard and long.
Mother, hear me where I kneel.
Let no weakness on my quest
Hinder me, wind of the West.
Northern wind blow cruel, blow cold,
Sheathe my aching heart in ice,
3Armor 'round my soul enfold.
Crone I need not call you twice.
To my foes bring the cold of death!
Chill me. North wind's frozen breath.
(Leslac)
Swordlady, valiant, no matter the foe,
Into the battle you fearlessly go --
Boldly you ride out beyond map and chart --
Why are you frightened to open your heart?
Swordlady, lady of consummate skill,
Lady of prowess, of strength and of will,
Swordlady, lady of cold ice and steel,
Why will you never admit that you feel?
Swordlady, mistress of all arts of war,
Wise in the ways of all strategic lore,
You fear no creature below or above,
Why do you shrink from the soft touch of love?
Swordlady, brave to endure wounds and pain,
Plunging through lightning, through thunder and
rain,
Flinching from nothing, so high is your pride,
Why then pretend you hold nothing inside?
Swordlady, somewhere within you is hid
A creature of feeling that no vow can rid,
A woman-a girl, with a heart soft and warm,
No matter the brutal deeds that you perform.
Swordlady, somewhere inside of you deep,
Cowers the maiden that you think asleep,
Frozen within you, in ice shrouded womb
That you can only pretend is a tomb.
Swordlady, all of the vows you have made
Can never make your heart die as you've bade.
Swordlady, after the winter comes spring;
One day your heart will awaken and sing.
Swordlady, one day there must come a man Who shall lift from you this self-imposed ban, Thawing the ice that's enshrouded your soul, On that day swordlady, you shall be whole.
(The old tradition holds that the Shin'a'in-now forty-odd Clans in all-originally came from four:
the Tale'sedrin (Children of the Hawk), the Liha'-irden (Deer-sibs), the Vuysher'edras (Brothers of the Wolves), and the Pretera'sedrin (the Chil-dren of the Grasscats). Hence the monumental se-riousness of the threat of declaring Tale'sedrin a dead Clan in Oathbound.)
Gold the dawn-sun spreads his wings --
Follow where the East-wind sings,
Brothers, sisters, side by side,
To defend our home we ride!
Eyes of Hawks the borders see --
Watchers, guard it carefully
Let no stranger pass it by --
Children of the Hawk, now fly!
CH: Maiden, Warrior, Mother, Crone,
Help us keep this land our own.
Rover, Guardian, Hunter, Guide,
With us now forever ride.
Speed of deer, oh grant to these --
Swift to warn of enemies,
Fleeter far than any foe --
